


The Worst Room-mate

by Elvias_wolven_assassin



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-11
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-01-08 09:22:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1130918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elvias_wolven_assassin/pseuds/Elvias_wolven_assassin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Attack on Titan College AU where Ymir and Christa are room-mates who start off on the wrong foot. Will they ever get along? Also because i can't help myself there's going to be some Mikaani along with your dose of Yumikuri! There may be sexual scenes later on...Who am i kidding? OF COURSE THERE WILL BE!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Worst Room-mate

The bags had been packed in advance, almost too far in advance. The car had been droning slowly along the highway for at least 3 hours. But despite all this the young woman squeezed onto the back seats was excited as she ever had been. She'd never thought, not in a million years, that she would be accepted into college and she'd never even dreamed that she'd get to study history there (her mother had often called her her 'little historian' when she was younger.) 

She had a grin on her face the rest of the drive, barely listening to her parents give her last minute advice on 'what to expect from your college years.' She heard snippets:

“Don't be pressured into anything while you're there,” her father lectured as the car turned onto the road leading to the main campus, “even if they do claim to be your friends. 

She nodded absently and tried shifting her weight so she could see out of the window, which was currently obscured by a mountain of pillows she'd elected to bring and was now severely regretting it. Perching herself on top of the pile she strained her eyes to see the campus revealing itself before her. Her father continued his lecture from the driver's seat:

“And no drinking, or drugs or excessive partying, I know what these college kids are like!” 

She uttered something that wasn't really a word and continued to stare out of the window. Lines of trees flanked the pathways, just beginning to scatter the first of their leaves. She wondered happily what the campus would look like in a few weeks when Autumn had truly started. The car was slowing now, weaving it's way through the myriad of other vehicles and freshmen edging away from over-emotional parents and family. 

They had arrived. She almost stumbled out of the back seats, taking at least half a dozen of her cushions with her. Her father wandered away from the car to go and find a trolley large enough to handle the small country his daughter had decided to take with her. 

“He's just worried about you,” came a soft voice from behind her, “just have fun okay?” 

“Mm,” was the only reply. The tiny blonde was practically buzzing now she was actually here. 

Her father returned moments later with the largest trolley he could possibly find and all of her luggage packed so tight it was half the size of what it was in the car on the journey out. It looked dangerously close to bursting as the girl took the handles from her father and insisted on going on further on her own. 

“Remember everything I said,” he started sternly, “but have fun, we'll see you at Christmas,” he pinched her nose and promptly walked back to the car. 

Her mother gave her a quick hug.

“And bring a nice boy back with you for the Christmas break,” She giggled, causing her daughter to flush scarlet and pull out of a second hug. 

“Have fun Christa.”

A smile and a wave later they were making their way out of the overcrowded car park, almost running over another student on their way; another blonde with an angry look on her face (though that wasn't very surprising considering the circumstances!) 

Christa followed the stream of fellow freshmen towards the main building. Older students were directing several groups at once towards various dormitories littered around the campus grounds. The group she had found herself a part of was halted in front of a large blonde student with fierce eyes. He cleared his throat and silence fell instantly.

“My name is Reiner Braun and I’ll be directing you all today. As you can see we're in front of the main building, now if you follow me we'll be getting your dorm assignments and you'll be meeting your new room-mates before you know it!” 

Christa's heart did a flip. She hoped her room-mate was someone she could talk to, she had hardly ever been this quiet in her life after all. The group followed Reiner at a distance, no-one daring to utter a word. Christa took a moment to glance at the other people she had found in her group. Most looked uninterested with what was going on, some with the same wide eyes of someone entering a new place for the first time. Two of them, a brunette and a young man with what looked like prematurely grey hair, appeared to be fighting over a large sandwich silently so as not to catch Reiner's imposing attention. Christa stifled a chuckle. 

The group was lead quickly into the main building, Reiner only stopping briefly to nod to an incredibly tall brunette boy who was also helping out with the orientation. The enormous atrium was bursting with students lugging trolleys full of things in and out with their groups. Reiner walked to one of the counters and was passed a clip board by a smiling woman who looked like she was enjoying the day a little too much. She caught Christa's eye and grinned, brown eyes flashing almost manically behind her glasses. Christa smiled sweetly in return then turned to file out of the atrium with the rest of the group. Reiner turned and halted them, glowering at the two freshmen who still seemed to be fighting over the sandwich. 

“Now if each of you could tell me your name I’ll direct you to your room assignments quickly so you can unpack since you all seem itching to explore.” 

Nobody moved initially. Reiner was too bulky and scary-looking. Christa sighed deeply and rolled her trolley towards the man. Standing closer to him, it was clear he was almost double her height. The man could snap her like a twig if he wanted. Instead he smiled as softly as his features would allow.

“And what's your name, princess?” 

Christa screwed up her nose at the horrific pet name but said nothing. She didn't want to start an argument on the first day, she hadn't even got a bed yet!

“Christa Renz,” she answered calmly, watching carefully as he checked what appeared to be a list of names on the clip board. He nodded satisfied.

“You're in B dorm on the other side of that building there,” he pointed to a large building shaded by trees on the other side of the campus, “if you get lost just ask one of the other students around they'll help you, next!”

And with that Christa was off, slowly wheeling her trolley along the damp morning pathways so she could take in everything she walked past. The fountain in the middle of the college plaza was off for the season and algae has started growing around the edges of the stagnant water left to fester for the Autumn. She walked towards the building Reiner had pointed her to, snaking between the trees with her luggage. 

She noticed a few other students she recognised moving towards the same building as she was; namely the female of the sandwich duo and the blonde her father had almost knocked over when they arrived. A girl with a red scarf wrapped tightly around her neck was also wheeling her belongings towards B dorm. It's going to be an interesting year, Christa thought, pushing open the doors with the trolley. 

A large sign was tacked sloppily to a cork board in the lobby. According to it Christa's room was situated on the next floor up. Unfortunately there was no elevator in this building so Christa, along with several other girls who appeared to be on the same floor began loading themselves up and waddling like penguins up to the next floor. 

The rooms themselves were all labelled with who was staying there. Christa moved quickly along the narrow hallway, trying to avoid trapping anybody behind her and the two large suitcases she'd managed to lug up the stairs with her. She found her room about halfway along the hallway. Apparently her room-mate was a person named 'Ymir' but the door was unlocked and empty when Christa arrived so she clearly hadn't arrived yet. Christa wondered what kind of person her new room-mate could be as she set down her suitcases on the left-hand side of the room, deciding it was her right as first to arrive to choose which side of the room she got to sleep in. 

There was a loud crash at the end of the hallway as Christa turned to go get the remainder of her belongings. The blonde she had seen earlier and the girl with the scarf were sharing a room and apparently neither one was happy with the arrangement. They didn't physically touch one another, not on the first day! But they were glaring daggers at one another and people were starting to take bets on who would swing first. Christa moved past the gathering crowd and leaped down the stairs to pick up her last suitcase and a few of her pillows. 

Evening fell quicker than the freshman would have liked. She enjoyed exploring the campus but she had to unpack the rest of her stuff and finally meet her elusive room-mate. The door to her room was locked when she got back, clearly someone else had arrived. Christa produced a well-worn key from the small bag she'd taken out with her and turned it. A loud crunching echoed across the hallway and she flinched, waiting for someone to come out and see what the noise was. When nobody came she finally felt safe enough to step inside. 

Her belongings were stacked neatly in front of the bed she had made earlier in the day before she had set out on her exploration and a tall figure appeared to be snoozing soundly on it. Christa prodded the sleeping room-mate, what was her name again, Ymir? Until she turned over and opened her eyes.

“What do you want?” 

“You're in my bed,” Christa said, gesturing to the half of the room she'd spent a good half of the afternoon working on.

“Yeah and a damn comfortable bed it is, you worked hard on it. Now I’m going back to sleep,” came the sarcastic reply. 

Christa stopped her mid-turn.

“Could you please get off my bed? There's a perfectly good one on your side of the room,” she was irritated now.

“If it's perfectly good then why aren't you sleeping in it?” Ymir yawned.

“Because I made up this bed myself earlier now get off!” 

Christa pulled hard on Ymir's shirt and managed to dislodge her from the bed. The brunette looked up, shocked, but merely grinned.  
“You're damn strong for such a squirt,” she said, standing and walking over to the bed on the other side of the room, “You can have your bed back.”

Christa glowered at her but didn't want to start another argument with the taller girl (significantly taller now they were both standing) who was now messily making up her own bed. 

“I think we're going to have fun this year,” Ymir chuckled. More to herself than anything else. 

Christa sat down on her bed and gulped. This was going to be a long year.


	2. New Friends and Crisp Autumn Leaves

Sleep came fitfully that night, owing to the fact she could feel Ymir's unsettling brown gaze glowering into her back as she faced the wall. She wasn't afraid of her new room-mate, far from it in fact. She was just a little... Different than Christa had imagined. Not only had she woken up the minute Christa finally decided it was safe to go to sleep but she was intend on staring at her, arms crossed, until Christa had finally had enough and turned away.

The alarm sounded for a mere five seconds the following morning. Ymir had decided she didn't want to wake up at 7AM with the rest of the world and had subsequently thrown a pillow across the room and slammed the poor clock into the wall. Christa had spent nearly twenty minutes collecting her files and books, previously stacked neatly beside Ymir's latest murder victim, and placing them back on her desk. The clock-murderer had naturally gone back to sleep the moment the deed was done and no matter how much the blonde nagged her she would not wake up. 

Exasperated and too late for breakfast, Christa hastily grabbed a notebook and a pen, resisting the urge to flip Ymir's mattress with the taller girl still on it and left to find her timetable. Standing outside the room (and slamming the door as loudly as her tiny arms could manage) she took a moment to look down the hallway. The other blonde from yesterday had just exited her room, looking to be in about a good a mood as she was yesterday when she saw the room assignments. Christa offered a tired morning smile to which the other woman nodded curtly before disappearing down the stairs. 

Just as the shorter blonde began her journey down the hallway the brunette from the sandwich duo rushed out of her room.

“Morning!” Christa called out as happily as she could manage.

“I missed breakfast!” came the reply and Christa could swear she saw tears welling in the other girl's eyes.

“Umm,” Christa started, “I'm sure you can find something. But let's go get our timetables first okay?”

A single tear escaped the brunette's eye but she grudgingly agreed and together the two girls made their way down to the entrance to the dorm. 

“I'm Christa by the way”

“I'm hungry,” the brunette sobbed.

“Well Hungry it's nice to meet you now let's go to the atrium to collect our class list,” Christa chuckled. The brunette returned her laugh. 

“My name's Sasha. Sasha Braus, I need to meet up with my friend Connie first but then we can all go together right?” 

Christa nodded, happy to have a normal conversation finally. According to the notice-board at the bottom of the stairs class timetables could be collected from the Atrium any time after 10AM. Christa checked her watch, it was already half past. There was a loud crashing sound coming from upstairs. Christa turned sharply and almost dragged her new friend through the doorway. 

“I think my room-mate's up,” she said pulling Sasha even faster, moving towards the silent fountain in the middle of the campus. 

Sasha was panting heavily when they reached the still stagnant waters of the water feature. 

“Jesus what was all that about?” she asked through deep breaths. 

“We...don't get along very well,” was the only answer the blonde could give, taking a moment to sit on the edge of the fountain, wrinkling her nose at the smell of mould seeping up from it, “and I did kind of wake her up,” she added sheepishly. 

“Her and the rest of the hall. But you must really not get on if she made you run away like that after just one day.” 

Christa just shrugged. She didn't know why she felt so uneasy at the thought of Ymir seeing her, aside from the obvious rude awakening of course, but before she'd given herself the chance to over-think it they were joined by the male half of the sandwich duo. 

“Morning Sasha,” he called out happily. When Sasha didn't reply he looked a little concerned, “what's eating her?” he asked, jerking his thumb at his taller companion.

“I think it's more of a case of what she didn't eat,” Christa replied.

Sasha pouted and looked like she was about to cry again. A small smile appeared on Connie's face.

“SHE didn't eat breakfast? Guys I think I just witnessed my first miracle!” 

Christa couldn't help but chuckle out loud but quickly stopped when she saw that Sasha was indeed shedding another tear. She reached into her small bag and pulled out a cereal bar she was going to eat yesterday when she had returned from her exploration but immediately forgot about after meeting her clock-murdering room-mate. She held it out to Sasha. 

“Here, it's not much but you can have it.”

The brunette's cry of joy could have woken the entire campus if they weren't all already in the atrium collecting timetables. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Christa's neck faster than the blonde could duck out of her way and held her so tight she could swear Sasha was trying to break her neck. But she was glad the other girl appreciated it. 

With Sasha's appetite sated, for now anyway, the three freshmen meandered their way through campus, stopping several times so Connie and Sasha could attack each other with leaves that had fallen from the trees overnight. At one point Christa was accidentally caught in the cross-fire and found herself picking damp foliage from her hair for the rest of the day.

The atrium was heaving. Hundreds of people were bustling around the large entrance hall, trying to protect the papers they had just received. One of the staff members, a tall blonde man with an even sterner gaze than Reiner, was attempting to shoo several groups of students out of the doors but with little luck. The three companions quickly split apart, yelling at each other to meet back at the fountain when they were finished and before they suffocated, and tried to find the stand where their timetables were being kept. 

Christa found hers after being crushed several times by larger students. She instantly recognised the staff member behind the desk as the woman who had grinned at her yesterday while Reiner was getting the dorm assignment list. 

“Hi I'm Zoe, the college councillor, and I’m guessing you are Christa Renz?” The glint in her eye unnerved Christa slightly but she said nothing merely nodded. 

“I bet you're wondering how I know your name, nothing special you're just the last freshman at this desk to collect their timetable and I wanted to freak you out a little,” she laughed loud enough to be heard over the drone of the other students and staff members in the room and handed Christa a hot pink piece of paper. 

“If you have any scheduling problems or want to take any extra classes speak to Erwin Smith,” she waved enthusiastically to the stern blonde man having a shouting match with a particularly reluctant group of students and he nodded shortly in acknowledgement, “and classes start on Monday! Good luck.” 

Christa nodded once more and turned to begin her journey back to the outside world when Zoe called out to her. 

“Oh and any other problems come and see me, I’m here to make your college life more comfortable!”

You couldn't be making my college life more uncomfortable right now, she thought but smiled gratefully and began pushing her way through the throngs of people still arriving even though it was nearing the lunch rush. On the final push out of the atrium her head smashed into something solid, almost knocking her off her feet.

“Why the hell do you have so many leaves in your hair?” came the rough voice. Christa's heart dropped into her stomach. 

“Connie and Sasha decided to have a 'leaf-ball fight',” the blonde gestured with her fingers, “I got caught in the cross-fire.” 

The rough voice laughed causing Christa's heart to sink further. Then a large hand began roughly pulling at some of the larger pieces of leaf jutting out of Christa's hair. The blonde swatted the hand away dismissively, turning away so they wouldn't see the tiny blush etched on her cheeks. 

“It's fine Ymir I’m not a monkey I can do it myself when I get back to the dorm later. I am glad to see you're finally awake though.” 

Ymir blinked slowly, as if unsure how to take the familiar name-calling. Her face quickly returned to being as stoic as ever, even beginning to show the signs of that smirk that the shorter woman was starting to think always lead to trouble. 

“Well yeah, no thanks to your stupid alarm clock. Who sets an alarm for seven in the morning anyway?” she said, folding her arms. 

“Someone who wanted to get a head-start on her first day here,” Christa answered, waltzing around the taller girl and beginning to walk away. 

Ymir scoffed. 

“Oh and by the way,” Christa called as she moved further from her room-mate. 

“What?”

“You owe me a new alarm clock!”   
*

Christa spent the rest of the day with Sasha and Connie, who were both fortuitously on the same history course as she was. They explored the campus a little more, discovering the enormous library that would be opened to students on Monday when classes officially began. After an hour or so of exploring Sasha forced the group to head to the canteen for some 'well deserved' lunch.

They found a table they could have to themselves and sat to eat. Connie pointed his fork somewhere off to the other end of the long lunch hall.

“Hey,” he said through a mouthful of food, “aren't they the two girls in our orientation group that really seemed to hate each other?” 

Christa and Sasha both nodded in unison. The girl with the scarf on and the blonde from the orientation group were sat on separate tables but appeared to be facing each other purely to glower at each other more. The three new friends watched as the staring match continued for an awkward amount of time until, eventually, the black-haired girl with the scarf looked away and began talking to her companions; a scruffy-looking brown-haired boy and a blonde with a precise bowl cut. The blonde girl shrugged dismissively and continued eating. 

“Hey, what's your name, Christa?” Connie asked.

“Yes, what is it?” 

Connie stifled a laugh and repositioned his fork so he was pointed at the bowl-cut boy. 

“He looks just like you!” He was holding in tears of laughter. Christa rolled her eyes at the childishness of it all but when she looked again she could almost see it. She wasn't going to tell Connie that though. 

They spent the rest of the day outside in the grounds, Connie and Sasha having another 'leaf-ball fight' and the three new friends discussing their room arrangements.

“Wait so those two girls are actually in a room together?” Connie laughed, throwing himself down onto the dewy evening grass.

“Yep, they've already had one almost-brawl. They really don't seem to get along,” Christa explained, looking to Sasha for support

“Oh yeah they almost knocked me flying down the stairs when I was trying to carry my case into my room.” 

Connie uttered a noise that sounded like 'huh' and yawned widely. They sat in contented silence for a while until the sun had well and truly set. The bald boy stood up first and helped each of the girls to their feet with a cheeky grin.

“What a gentlemen,” Christa teased softly, giggling. Sasha just hit him on the shoulder and got up on her own, sticking her tongue out. 

The short boy split off from the girls at the fountain and began his journey back to the boy's dorms which were further away from campus than the girl's. They all agreed to meet tomorrow to hang out again since they still had a few days before classes officially started. A bitter wind had picked up as the two girls shivered into their dorm and waddled up the stairs to their rooms. 

“I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast?” Sasha asked hopefully. 

“Of course, I wouldn't let you miss breakfast a second time!” Christa chuckled, waving her new friend off and finding the door to her own room unlocked. 

A large body wrapped in a fluffy grey sweater was sleeping soundly when the blonde entered. She clicked the door closed as quietly as she could and silently changed into her pyjamas (a rather childish set with penguins on) and climbed into bed. Reaching up to her bedside table she pulled her mobile phone from the small bag and made sure to set an alarm for seven the next morning. Smirking slightly she replaced the phone in the bag, lest Ymir's killer aim claim a second victim so soon, and turned over to sleep. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was in the land of dreams.

*

The alarm droned on into the morning air. Christa rubbed her eyes and looked around, surprised to see her room-mate already gone. She dressed quickly and left to go and find Sasha for breakfast. Passing several people in the hallway the blonde was subjected to more than the average amount of staring, some girls even pointing and giggling to themselves. 

She knocked on Sasha's door, still completely perplexed. The brunette opened and stared at Christa. 

“Christa did you know there are a giant pair of boobs drawn on your forehead next to the words 'good morning sunshine'?” 

The scream that followed was loud enough to wake half the college. 

“YMIR I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!”


	3. Revenge is a Sweet... Potato

Christa was seething. She didn't think she had ever been this angry in her life. Sasha trailed hopelessly behind her, trying in vain to bring the blonde to her senses. 

“Can't we just go to the showers and wash it off?” She cried, racing after Christa as she whirled into the canteen. 

Ymir was no-where in sight when the two girls pushed the doors open. Sasha silently thanked whatever gods she could think of and put a hand on Christa's shoulder. The shorter girl was still shaking with rage. 

“You're faster than you look, y'know that?” 

Christa turned to face her friend for the first time since the brunette had told her of the offensive doodle that was still etched on her forehead. Sasha was panting heavily but still smiled brightly. Christa raised an eyebrow knowingly.

“You want to get breakfast with me like this don't you?”

Sasha shrugged.

“...Well we are already here...” 

Christa relaxed slightly and tapped Sasha's hand. They glanced around, trying to find somewhere to sit, as far away from everyone else as they could possibly get. The girl with the red scarf was eating in contented silence with the boys from yesterday, letting her gaze drift to her room-mate sat on the other side of the hall occasionally. She offered a stony stare in return but little more. Christa felt someone's arm wrap around her neck.

“Get a room you two!” came a familiar voice. 

The two girls glared at the voice but said nothing. 

“Ymir get off of me!” Christa growled through gritted teeth, “I am so mad at you right now.” 

“For what It was just a harmless prank?” The taller girl smirked and ruffled the blonde's fringe, “see? You can't even see your forehead tits any more.” 

Christa flushed scarlet. For a second she even thought her heart had skipped a beat. No, she was just really angry at Ymir still. That was the only explanation. She shrugged off the taller girl and wandered over to the table that Sasha had commandeered at the very back of the canteen.

“Why're you so red?” Sasha asked when Christa took a seat on the other side of the table.

Christa flushed again.

“I'm not blushing, I’m still mad!” 

Sasha chewed on a bit of toast.

“I never said blushing,” she smirked, spewing crumbs across the table. 

Before Christa could think up an appropriate retort Connie had thrown his tray down on the table and wrestled his chair into a better position. 

“Christa you know you have boobs on your head right?” He asked through mouthfuls of breakfast.

Christa nodded sharply, trying to re-smooth her fringe over her forehead. 

“Yes I know, Ymir decided it would be funny to do this while I was sleeping,” came the bitter reply. 

“Well how are you going to get revenge?”

Christa pondered this for a moment. She's never had to 'get revenge' on someone before and she didn't much like the thought of her first victim being the girl who'd not only drawn on her face but also broken her brand new alarm clock in less than 48 hours. She rested her chin on her palm.

“I don't know, I’ve never had to prank someone back before, are there rules to this sort of contest?”

Both Sasha and Connie roared with laughter.

“It's not a contest,” Sasha managed through the tears of laughter streaming down her face, “you just get them back ten times worse than how they got you!”

Christa's brow furrowed. 

“But how am I supposed to draw on Ymir? She sleeps curled into a tiny ball,” she flushed at the thought.  
Connie sighed loudly, slapping himself hard in the face. 

“You don't do the same thing to them! Think of something better, Sasha and I will help you if you want?”

“Yeah because you are kind of useless,” Sasha chimed in in an attempt to sound reassuring. 

“Thanks.” 

The table was plunged into silent contemplation after that, all three of the friends thinking of the best way to get back at the tall brunette currently sat with the po-faced blonde roomed with the black-haired girl with the scarf. Ymir was animatedly telling a story to the other girl, who merely nodded every so often to show she was listening. Christa let her eyes linger on the taller girl for a while until Ymir looked over at her and smirked, pointing to her forehead. Christa did her best to stay composed as she whipped around to face the others again. Her chair had other ideas. She seemed to fall in slow motion, edging closer and closer to the linoleum flooring. 

Crash! 

Connie was the first to rush to help but Christa waved him off, rubbing her sore nose and pulling the chair back underneath her so she could sit again. She turned sharply to glare at Ymir but instead of finding her laughing like she thought she only saw the smallest amount of worry fade from her eyes before they turned cold again. 

“Are you alright?” Sasha asked, trying as hard as she could to stifle a giggle. 

“I’m fine, did you come up with any ideas on how to prank Ymir back?” she pinched her nose to make sure it wasn't bleeding which, fortunately for her, it wasn't. 

Connie leaned in close and raised his eyebrow.

“Well actually I thought we'd go for a British classic, but first you should probably wash those tits off your forehead.”

 

*

“This is not how I thought I'd be spending my Friday morning,” Christa groaned, rolling up her sleeves and pushing the back of Connie's beat up car as hard as she could. 

Sasha moaned in agreement as they both manoeuvred the rusty machine through the enormous car park. The late morning dew was making every surface slippery and the two girls were plastered in dirt before the car had finally managed to choke itself back to life. 

“Good thing I didn't shower this morning,” Sasha grimaced, wiping off the leaves as best as she could, “Connie why didn't you help?” 

Connie poked his head out of the car window, making it rattle almost out of the frame.

“Someone had to steer the stupid thing, I didn't think it would be this bad now get in before the damn thing dies on us again!” 

The girls raced to the doors, careful not to slam them shut in fear they'd actually fall off and they were away. 

The nearest town was only half an hour's drive away but Connie wouldn't drive anywhere near the speed limit the entire journey. It didn't dampen their spirits though, the excitement was too great. The prank was a simple one, one Connie assured the others happened on a regular basis at English universities over what was known to them as 'freshers week.' 

“Basically we just buy a ton of tin foil, or something similar, and wrap all of their belongings in it before they come back. It's perfect!” 

“Why do people do that?” Christa asked, “seems more annoying than anything.”

They could hear Sasha giggling in the back seat.

“I’m pretty sure that's the point, Christa. And it's the best we've got.” 

They parked up next to an ancient looking grocery store near the edge of town. Connie wanted to keep the car running in case the poor thing died on them again but as soon as he pulled it into the parking space it spluttered like an elderly lady in a hospital and then fell silent. 

“We should have just bought my car, Connie,” Sasha sighed, helping her friend wrench open the bonnet from where it was almost welded to the rest of the car's frame. Connie just stared at her in shock.

“God no, remember what happened last time YOU drove us anywhere?” 

Sasha shrugged dismissively.

“It wasn't my fault, that cow should never have been in the road.” 

“You could have killed us both!”

Christa took a step away from the two bickering friends. 

“I'll go in and get the tin foil, you guys fix the car okay?” She called over the insults now flying between the other two. They both nodded before continuing their argument.

And try not to kill each other while I’m gone.

The automated doors to the store blew open as the blonde stepped through, her skirt billowing so high It was almost inappropriate. Air-con blasted down on her hair, sending the already frazzled strands spiralling in all directions. She walked briskly through the aisles, unwilling to leave Sasha and Connie alone for too long. The kitchen supplies aisle was one of the smaller sections, almost completely obscured by giant clearance signs for barbecues that were actually sold at the other end of the store. 

Christa grabbed as many rolls of tin foil as she could possibly carry (berating herself for not picking up a basket or a shopping cart) and waddled towards the cashier's desks. Thin but enormous hands helped the young girl tumble her rolls of foil into the basket in front of the till. 

“Bad room-mate I take it?” the lanky young man chuckled as he packed away the purchase. 

Christa nodded sheepishly, craning her neck so she could get a proper look at the giant boy in front of her.

“Weren't you helping out with the orientation? Sorry you just look really familiar,” Christa said, reaching into her small bag and hooking out an even smaller purse. 

“I was in fact, and If I remember rightly you were being shown around by Reiner, right?” the black-haired boy answered, gently taking the notes Christa was holding up to him, “I'm Bertholdt by the way.” 

“Christa. Christa Renz,” the shorter girl smiled, shaking Bertholdt's gigantic hand. The tall boy's hand lingered in hers for a second. 

“Wait, Christa Renz? You're not roomed with a girl named Ymir are you?”

Christa's eyes shot up to meet his.

“How did you know?”

Bertholdt chuckled. 

“So she's done it again...” he muttered to himself, handing over the last of Christa's shopping bags. Christa's eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean 'again'?” she was almost glaring at Bertholdt now, hand on hip. 

“You didn't know? Ymir is actually in her third year here, she's been failed twice already. The Dean said that this was her last chance. So you're actually pranking her?”

Christa could only nod, her mouth had become dry. This suddenly didn't seem like a good idea. Bertholdt put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

“Don't worry she's not scary, she just has trouble concentrating on more than one thing at at time...” He trailed off smiling slightly to himself.

“What do you mean?” 

But Christa didn't get her answer. Because of all their chatting a sizeable queue of disgruntled customers had formed. The younger girl flushed and quickly set about moving her seven bags of foil towards the exit. 

“There's a party tomorrow night, in the Sina dorms just off campus, you can come along if you like,” Bertholdt just managed to call out as Christa raced through the doors and out into the parking lot again. 

Sasha and Connie were waiting outside and helped Christa carry the bags back to the car, all evidence of an argument gone. It took all three of the freshmen to open the boot, which was almost as rusted as the bonnet had been. Copper shavings sprayed onto the tarmac when they finally managed to bust the thing open.

“Connie I hate to say this but you really should think about getting a new car,” Sasha called as once again the girls were forced to push the motor out of the car park and onto the road. 

“Nah this thing'll run forever, now get in before she conks out on us again!” 

It took more time to drive back than it had to find the store because traffic had started to build on the roads leading to the outskirts of the town. An hour (and only two push-starts later) they spied the familiar surroundings of the college campus. Parking as close as they possibly could to Sasha and Christa's dormitory Connie killed the engine and the three of them exited the vehicle, showering more rust flakes onto the road. 

“We can see your dorm room from here, just give us a signal from the window and we'll bring up the 'stuff',” Connie snickered.   
“It sounds like we're dealing drugs or something,” Sasha sighed, rolling her eyes. 

Choosing to shove Bertholdt's words to the back of her mind for now Christa ran up the stairs to her room. Fortunately it was locked and her room-mate was no-where to be found inside (though the blonde did check the cupboards, just to be safe.) She had to climb on the desk in front of the window in order to peer out over the car park, waved at Sasha and Connie, who started shuffling suspiciously towards the dormitory. Christa had to laugh at the two of them, they looked like something out of an old detective movie!

They worked as quickly as possible and listened as intensely as they could to any possible movement from outside the room. It was the first time Christa had really looked, but Ymir didn't really have many possessions at all; only a few books and a few crumpled note-books. Surely a third year flunky would have more stuff than this, she thought to herself as Sasha put the finishing touches to Ymir's new silver bedding.

“Okay, that just about does it. Connie and I will throw the rest of this,” the brunette jerked her thumb at the large pile of excess foil in front of the door, “ in one of the trash bins by the guy's dorm. You just work on being nonchalant, k?” 

“Done. And if either of you see Ymir, text me alright?” Christa smiled weakly, seeing her partners in crime to the door. 

Taking one of the non-foiled books from the shelf, Christa settled onto her bed and began to skim absently. Was Ymir really In her third year? She did seem older than Christa but maybe that was just because she was so much taller than her, but how could she have failed twice? And how for that matter had she been allowed to stay as a student? Christa's brain was buzzing so loudly with unanswered questions she didn't even hear the ancient door knob clunk open.

“What the hell is this?” 

Christa's mouth was so dry she couldn't even utter a noise as her freckled room-mate glared at her newly arranged half of the room. The blonde coughed. 

“You drew breasts on my forehead,” Christa said in barely more than a whisper. Ymir turned sharply to face her. 

“So you wrapped all my stuff up in foil?” the reply was almost bewildered. Christa didn't dare look the other girl in the eye. She hid her face behind the book. 

A long moment of silence followed. Christa was sure she was going to be found in a body bag the next day. That was it. After only three days at the college of her dreams she was going to be murdered for pranking her room-mate's side of the bedroom in tin foil. 

“That's so bad it hurts!” Ymir finally broke the silence, laughing in loud, rasping breaths. 

“We didn't have much time to come up with a plan,” Christa retorted, marking her page roughly and glaring at the taller woman.

Ymir leant down in front of her and pinched the blonde's cheeks as roughly as she could. 

“Oh God that's too adorable, c'mere you,” she shook Christa's cheeks and cooed at her until the other girl swatted her away.

“I've never pranked anyone before and you're treating me like a baby,” she pouted. Ymir slapped her hard on the knee.

“I just never thought you had it in you, thought you'd leave like the rest of them.”

Christa's eyes flashed. 

“You mean you've had other room-mates before?” She asked innocently.

Ymir sat on the floor by her bed, looked up at the blonde, and nodded.

“Not that it's any of your business but I’ve had four other rooming arrangements before, so far you're the only one that's passed my test.” 

“So you drew breasts on their foreheads too?” 

Ymir laughed, shaking the bed. 

“No. They just thought I was scary looking and transferred rooms but then the rumours started and well...” 

“You thought you'd try and drive me off too?” Christa asked, leaning on her elbows so she was next to the brunette freckled face. 

For a second it looked like Ymir's face had become slightly pinker.

“Shut up no, I just wanted to see how much punishment you'd take before throwing in the towel.” 

Christa giggled this time. 

“My mum always said I was as stubborn as an ox so it looks like we're stuck with each other.” 

Ymir smirked. 

“You really do have a death-wish if you want to stay with me but we'll see how it goes, trial run only got it?” 

Christa nodded sarcastically, saluting her room-mate as she stood to begin removing the layers and layers of foil from her side of the room. The shorter girl picked up her book and began reading again, a contented silence settling over their room for the first time since they'd met, save for the foil rustling as Ymir balled it up in order to throw it out later. 

Christa only looked up when the rustling stopped.

“Hey Christa?”

“Hm?” 

“Why is there a FUCKING POTATO IN MY BED?!”


	4. An Interesting Night

It had been a peculiar day's end, watching Ymir clear up the mess the three freshmen had made of her room. The potato had found it's way back to it's original owner, though Christa doubted Sasha appreciated having it left on her pillow as she slept. In all it took Ymir nearly 2 hours to gather up all the silver foil covering her meagre belongings into a ball large enough to rival the world's largest ball of yarn. 

“You want any help carrying that thing down to the bins?” Christa asked, placing the book she had been skimming back on her desk.

“No thanks I got this,” came the reply. 

Before Christa could duck out of the way the entire enormous ball of aluminium came hurtling towards her and out of the bedroom's window. Both girls were silent until the sound of metal slamming against the rim of a dust bin echoed across the campus. Ymir immediately raced to look out of the window and, sure enough, the ball of foil was nestled amongst the other waste in one of the giant trash cans in the car park. 

Ymir's triumphant cry probably woke up half the campus but Christa couldn't help but giggle. She even offered a sarcastic round of applause, to which the freckled girl bowed grinning. 

“Did you really think you could make that?” Christa asked, still astounded.

Ymir's grin widened. 

“Are you stupid? Of course not! I just thought it would be easier than carrying the damn thing down the stairs,” she wiped her nose with her index finger and sat down on her bed.

“Well well done anyway,” Christa chuckled, adding a second round of applause. 

“Thank you kind goddess of the aluminium foil,” she bowed again from her position on the bed, “Shit we should get some sleep look at the time!” 

Christa wholeheartedly agreed and before long the two girls were fast asleep, one still sleeping awkwardly facing the wall while the other couldn't help but stare while slowly drifting off.

*  
Christa woke up the next day with the goofiest grin on her face and, no matter what she did, she couldn't remove it. She got dressed quickly and settled in to read inside. Ymir was out already. Probably showering, Christa thought, turning slightly pink at the thought. She buried her face in her book. 

She heard the door creak a short while later. A mop of shoulder-length brown hair swaggered into the bedroom, dripping large droplets of water everywhere. 

“OH GOD WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” 

Ymir shook herself like a dog, causing Christa to squeak, before turning to the blonde. 

“Hm? Drying my hair, what are you reading?”

“It's by Ilse Langer, WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!” 

Ymir looked down at herself slowly, then at Christa, smirking. 

“Half naked, and why do you care we're all girls here?” she replied, taking the small towel from around her neck and using it to rub her hair. 

“Oh, COME ON,” Christa replied. 

Ymir just smirked under the towel, making no effort to put any clothes on. 

“And now I’m just wondering where else on your body you have freckles...”

“What the hell?” 

“Nothing, just put a shirt on!”

Ymir leaned in closer, Christa flinched, feeling so hot she thought she would erupt. 

“What did you say? Wanna see the gun show?” she flashed two rows of perfect teeth and flexed her muscles. 

Ymir didn't even have time to duck as the Langer volume connected squarely with her nose. She keeled backwards in slow-motion, the smirk successfully wiped off her face, and landed on the bed with a crash loud enough to wake the entire campus. 

“Ugh my Gob Krissshhhtta whu da hell?” the brunette cried, clutching her nose and trying to keep the blood from dripping onto the bedding.

Christa was already leaping forward to sit on the floor in front of the freckled girl. She didn't know what to say, she could only gently peel Ymir's hands away from her face to survey the damage. 

“I am so sorry,” Christa managed to splutter out. 

“I dink you broke my dose,” the brunette said, tears streaming down her face. 

“Okay just face the floor and I’ll get you some ice, I'm so so sorry,” Christa raced out of the room and down to the kitchens as fast as her legs could carry her. 

The cook behind the counter in the canteen looked like a deer in headlights when the hot sweaty blonde slammed her hands on the counter demanding ice. One large bag of ice later and the swelling on Ymir's nose was beginning to go down. 

“I'm so sorry,” The shorter girl repeated again. 

“I know dammit, stop repeating yourself,” She said, waving Christa's frantic hands away from her face for the millionth time, “you owe me for this.” 

Christa's face fell. 

“What do you have in mind?” she asked tentatively. 

A pained half-smile crossed the brunette's lips.

“Well there's this party tonight...” 

I light flickered on in the blonde's eyes.

“The one at the Sina dorms? I was going to ask if you were going!” 

“Yeah Annie told me, you owe me so now we're going together,” Ymir answered, tweaking her nose so it sat straight again.

“Wait Annie? The blonde at the end of the hall?” 

“Uhuh, she's old friends with Bertholdt and Reiner so of course she'd know. Now about the fact you owe me...” 

Christa rolled her eyes. 

“I was going to ask if you were going anyway, I mean not like this,” she trailed off.

“Then it looks like we've got a date tonight.”

Christa stood to leave the room, silently thanking any god that she could think of that her aim was so good, a tiny smile playing on her lips.   
*  
Christa spent the rest of the day wandering around the autumnal campus with Connie and Sasha. Leaves had begun to layer the pavements, spreading a moist film across the entire college campus.

“It's nearly dinner,” Sasha said for the fourth time in as many minutes. 

“You know you shouldn't eat before a night of drinking,” Connie answered, slapping Sasha on the back of the head. 

“Why not?” Christa asked, moving between the two friends.

Connie smiled sheepishly. 

“So you can get drunk quicker, obviously!” 

Sasha looked ready to cry. Christa put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

“We'll get dinner, thanks Connie.”

Connie shrugged and followed the other girls to the cafeteria, where the dinner rush was just about to begin. 

“You think everyone's gonna turn up to this party?” Connie asked, wincing as Sasha shovelled several potatoes into her mouth at once, “ugh how do you even manage that?”

“Mu jushhht shortaa shtick um all un der,” came the reply, as well as a shower of half-chewed potato skins. 

“Thanks.” 

Christa giggled and passed the boy a napkin. He grinned back while wiping the debris from his face. 

“Back to my previous question, is everyone on campus going to this thing at the Sina dorm?” 

Sasha swallowed hard.

“Looks like it, even Annie and Mikasa seem to have given up on their constant bickering,” she said, pointing her fork towards the other side of the room. 

“Wait how do you know her name?” Christa asked, watching the two girls sat at opposite ends of the same table. 

“Hm? Oh Annie asked me to swap rooms with her last night, something about Mikasa snoring in her sleep or something.” 

“Maybe they just hate each other,” Connie chimed in, “Eren said something about his sister not getting along well with her room-mate.” 

Christa's eyes settled on the end of table where two boys were animatedly chatting about something hilarious that had happened the day before. The girl with the scarf, Mikasa, chipped in occasionally with a comment but her face was turned away from the gossiping boys and firmly faced the stoic blonde at the other end of the table. Annie was reading with her back to the others. Christa's brow furrowed.

“I don't think so, I think they just rub each other the wrong way. Can't say I don't know that feeling.” 

Sasha let her plate fall onto the table with a clatter. 

“I thought you guys were cool now after we, y'know covered all her belongings In aluminium foil?” 

The blonde let out an exasperated sigh and slammed her forehead on the wood. 

“That was before I almost broke her nose this morning...” she murmured. 

Connie's guffaw was loud enough to rouse half the canteen of their post-dinner exhaustion. 

“How the hell did you even manage that? You're so tiny!” Tears were streaming down his stubby face as he tried in vain to control his laughter. 

“You're one to talk about tiny...” Christa mumbled bitterly, Sasha giggled beside her, “I mean she walked in half naked and started flexing and I... threw a book at her,” she finished, turning her head so she could look at the others with her chin still resting on the table. 

“Okay go on, laugh.” 

The two friends fell to the floor almost simultaneously, crippled with laughter. After about five minutes of continuous convulsing and crying Connie and Sasha managed to pick themselves up and sit down again, still clutching their sides. 

“It's really not that funny guys! Now I have to go with her to the party as her date,” Christa cried. Sasha put a hand on her shoulder.

“It's not that bad right?” 

Connie nodded vigorously.

“Yeah, if you kinda squint when you look at her she could almost pass for pretty!”

“Who could almost pass for pretty?”

Christa's heart skipped a beat as a long arm wrapped itself around her neck and pulled her upwards so she was sat straight again. 

“Umm, Sasha?” Connie smiled nervously, glancing at Sasha who simply returned the smile. The bald boy gulped audibly. 

“Ymir get off,” Christa shrugged off the arm and turned to face her room-mate, “And where do you keep popping up from anyway?”

Ymir smirked, pointing to her nose. It was now expertly bandaged but looked even more swollen than earlier in the day.

“Surprisingly I just 'popped up' from the nurse's office. Had to check you didn't actually break it y'know?” 

Christa's face flashed scarlet.

“I'm sorry.”

The taller girl ruffled at the blonde's long hair. 

“I heard you the last billion times you said it, now we should get going,” she said, grabbing Christa by the hand and beginning to march towards the exit. 

“Where are we going?” she asked, staring red-faced at the enormous hand enveloping hers. 

“Back to our room, you've gotta get ready to be my date,” She flashed two rows of perfect teeth and Christa almost swooned. Dammit!

The blonde could feel the eyes of every single student on campus burning into her back as the two women raced back through the campus. Evening was setting in as Ymir pulled Christa up the stairs and sat her down on one of the beds.

“Pick something nice, I’m going to go take a piss,” Ymir said, scratching the back of her neck and wincing slightly. 

Before Christa could ask Ymir about a dress code the door slammed shut and she was alone. Sighing she pulled out two sets of clothes; one with a purple v-neck sweater and jeans and the other with a cardigan and a long skirt. 

“Better flip a coin for this one,” she mumbled to herself, reaching onto the desk to pull out a coin from her purse, “heads v-neck, tails skirt.” 

Unfortunately Christa had never had very good hand-eye coordination. Her mother loved recounting the tale of when Christa was about seven years old and she managed to hit herself in the face with a bat during a Phys Ed lesson and got sent home with a bloody nose. The coin flew high in the air and twisted far from Christa's outstretched arms. She leapt forward as the metal skittered towards the door but before her hand could grab it her face slammed into a pair of bony shins walking back into the room. 

“The v-neck looks good,” Ymir commented. 

“pffttshhanks.” 

“No problem,” she answered, raising an eyebrow and helping the blonde to her feet, “what were you doing down there anyway?” 

“Checking if you had freckles on your legs, I was tossing a coin!” 

Ymir let out a throaty chuckle. 

“Well it's cold out, so I’d still go with the v-neck,” she smiled, sitting down on her bed, “get changed quick or the keg'll already be emptied.” 

Christa could feel her room-mate's eyes mockingly tracing every inch of her as she changed into the purple v-neck. 

“Geez take a picture it'll last longer.” 

Click!

Christa whipped around to face the taller girl.

“Did you just...?” 

“Get dressed, we're leaving.” 

They walked quickly against the brisk Autumn chill. Christa kept her hands firmly in her arm pits. 

“You want my jacket?” Ymir asked, beginning to slip one arm out of the fluffy parker. 

“No I’m fine, achoo!” She sneezed, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve. 

“You're adorable you know that?” the taller girl laughed, throwing the jacket over Christa and simultaneously smothering her. 

“And you're a lot nicer than you look,” she answered, bundling herself into the jacket.

When she glanced up Christa could swear Ymir was blushing. 

*

The Sina dorms were the largest dormitories on campus, housing nearly all of the college's male students. The two girls could smell the testosterone before they could feel the bass blaring through their shoes. 

“Drink it in rookie this is the smell of our first date, not that I CAN smell it mind you,” Ymir grinned cheekily. 

“Our first date? Like you expect more after this?” the blonde raised an eyebrow. 

“Come on I brought you to a swanky place! And there's beer.” 

Christa chuckled. 

“Well as long as there's beer...” 

Ymir slapped her shorter companion on the back and pulled her inside. 

*

The walls in the entrance were decked with balloons and toilet paper hastily thrown down the bannisters to act as streamers. Ymir lifted Christa over a group of students lolling around in the doorway, giggling at something on the ceiling. As they ascended the stairs one of the group rolled over, spilling the entire content of his stomach over the floor and the two other students beside him. Christa held her nose and gagged. Ymir grinned widely. 

“Now it's a party.” 

Christa raised an eyebrow and hit the brunette softly on the arm. 

“You're disgusting you know that?” 

Her room-mate nodded. 

“I know now let's get you drunk!”

They weaved their way through the throngs of students, of varying levels of inebriation, and followed the flow of beer to a room at the end of the hallway. Ymir grabbed Christa's hand and pulled her into the crowd. The taller girl elbowed and shoved her way towards the enormous keg of beer on a desk at the end of the room. Christa could have sworn she even bit another student in her quest for beer. She grabbed two red plastic cups, spilling the stack of hundreds across the floor, and made a beeline for the keg. The blonde followed close behind.

Ymir shoved a foamy cup in her hand. 

“Chug it,” she ordered, taking a long gulp from her own cup. 

“Excuse me?” 

“You owe me for breaking my nose, your date orders you to chug that beer.” 

Christa stared wide-eyed into the dark liquid. But she didn't want to owe her room-mate again. She took a deep breath and began gulping down the foam. Ymir grabbed the bottom of the cup and forced the rest of the beer down the smaller girl's throat. Christa could feel her nostrils burning as alcohol spilled out of her nose and onto the floor. Ymir pulled the cup away from her mouth, smirking. 

“Seconds?” 

“Were you TRYING to kill me?” Christa wheezed, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve. 

“Why would I kill you? It's a party Christa, you gotta live a little!” 

Christa flushed at the mention of her first name but coughed it away quickly as her room-mate filled up their glasses with a second pint of beer. 

“Nice word choice there, if it's all right with you I’m going to drink this one slowly,” she said, taking a sip and coughing again.

“Fine by me, let's dance I wanna show you my moves!”   
Christa sighed and followed her freckled companion away from the keg and the increasingly rowdy party goers. The pounding bass rippled through her entire body as she was lead to a corner of the corridor where there was still room to breathe. Ymir pointed into the crowd, slinging foamy beer down Christa's sleeve. 

“Looks like Annie and her room-mate are getting along,” she called over the blaring drum beats. 

Christa frowned at her sleeve before following the brunette's finger into the dancing crowd. The two girls were exchanging heated glares while swaying to the music, Annie's inebriated smile causing the other girl to giggle and hiccup playfully. 

“How much have they had to drink?” Christa asked, mostly to herself. 

“Some people have been here since quarter past this freckle,” Ymir answered, leaning over the blonde and pointing to her wrist. Christa swatted her away, chuckling. 

“Heeyyyyyyy it's the girl from orientation,” came a voice from the crowd of dancing drunks. 

“Reiner! Are you...?” Christa asked, looking up at the giant blonde. 

An arm instinctively wrapped around her neck. 

“He's drunk, leave him alone,” Ymir whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

“Come on Ymir I just want to talk to the girl,” Reiner laughed, leaning down so his face was the same height as the girls'. 

“Go find Bert I’m sure he's damn worried about you, look at the state you're in,” Ymir sneered, not willing to remove her arm from Christa just yet. 

“I.. I just want to talk to her, Ymir,” came the hiccup-filled reply. 

Christa could feel the brunette's arm tense. She put her hand on top of it. 

“Ymir it's fine, I can handle this, calm down,” Christa cooed.

The grip didn't lax. 

“See Ymir she just wants to talk, wassurname again? Christa? My room's a lot quieter than here les' go there,” he flashed a toothy smile and took a swig from the bottle in his hand.  
“Not sure how Bert would feel about that. Just go to bed Reiner don't make me deck you again.” 

The blonde boy raised himself up to his full height and let out a throaty laugh. Christa glanced behind him and saw, much to her relief, that a tall gangly brunette boy was making his way over to them. Reiner took a step towards the girls. Ymir pulled Christa close to her and the blonde girl could hear both of their hearts pounding in her chest.

“Reiner leave them alone,” came a weak voice from the crowd. 

Reiner appeared to be completely ignoring his room-mate's calls and reached out to try and touch the shorter girl's face. 

Splash!

The burly boy stumbled backwards, rubbing the weak alcohol from his eyes. Everyone in the corridor was watching the scene now. 

“Why'd you do that?” he yelled, trying to wring out his saturated shirt. 

“Because I don't appreciate people touching me without my permission Reiner, you need to cool off a little.” 

Ymir had let go of her room-mate's neck and was now stood at full height. Her eyes flicked between being very amused with the situation and deep shock that her companion had just thrown a beer on a drunken senior student. Bertholdt rushed forward to help Reiner to his feet. Reiner put up some resistance but after Ymir threatened to stick the tube from the keg somewhere less-than-desirable he allowed himself to be helped back to one of the free rooms away from the scene. 

“That was... incredible!” the taller girl cried. 

“I told you I could handle it, now I believe you were about to show me some moves,” Christa raised an eyebrow and gestured to the corridor dance floor. 

Ymir laughed nervously and chugged the rest of her beer. Christa giggled. 

“You know, for a first date I didn't want it's been a pretty fun evening, thanks Ymir.”

If you looked closely enough you could see each of Ymir's freckles blushing. She coughed and started flailing wildly around their designated spot on the dance floor. Christa swayed along when she wasn't almost crippled laughing at her companion's 'moves'. 

The music stopped. 

“STOP THIS RIGHT NOW.” 

Ymir grabbed her room-mate's hand.

“Shit the staff are here,” she whispered urgently. 

The two girls were immediately crushed against the wall they had been dancing near as every student either raced to get into a room or rushed to the exit. Ymir turned to Christa. 

“This is going to get a bit undignified,” she said, lifting Christa soldier-style onto her back and cutting through the panicking crowd like a star quarterback. 

“Ymir you put me down right now I can run,” the blonde cried, slamming her fist hard into the other girl's back. 

Ymir wasn't listening. She leapt down multiple stairs at once and vaulted the drunks in the entryway, most of which had been moved so they were leant against a wall. She didn't stop until the two of them were safely back inside their room. She slammed Christa onto the bed, a smug grin etched on her face. 

“TOUCHDOWN!” she panted, throwing her hands into the air triumphantly. 

“Ymir I could have walked on my own you know.” 

“I know, this was just way more fun. I couldn't risk getting caught by Erwin again,” She shuddered. 

Christa's brows knitted together. 

“Why?” 

“He'd send me to Zoe again, you've seen her she's terrifying!” 

“...And so you carried me too because...?” 

“No-one deserves that this early in the semester.” 

Christa couldn't help but laugh. She flopped back onto her bed. 

“Okay fine you win, just give me some warning next time.” 

Ymir leapt onto her own bed. 

“I said undignified what more do you want?” She said, completely exhausted. 

The blonde closed her eyes, sending her room-mate a tired thumbs up. She heard Ymir shift around on the other side of the room. 

“Done, as long as you promise to throw more beer on Reiner.” 

“Done, now goodnight Ymir”

“Night, princess.”


	5. Fireworks

The next day bought with it the coldest wind the students had experienced so far that year. Frost bordered every leaf on campus and, if you were close enough, you could hear the algae-coated fountain squealing as the water left inside it's pipes expanded as it froze. 

When Christa awoke at the crack of dawn she could see her breath in the air. Shivering she leapt out of her bed and raced to find socks to cover her frozen toes. She looked over to the other side of the room where Ymir seemed to be sleeping soundly despite being on top of her duvet rather than inside it. 

You'll give yourself pneumonia you idiot, she thought, sighing and pulling one of the blankets over her room-mate and giggling quietly when Ymir wiggled her feet slightly once she had been covered. Christa could have sworn she saw a smile grace those freckled lips but as quickly as it was there it was replaced by a contented neutral expression.

The blonde grabbed her towel and left the room, wincing against the chill in the corridor. She wiped her nose continuously as she shuffled along the wooden boards to get to the shower cubicles. The rooms on either side of her were just beginning to rumble with students rising early on the first day of classes. She hugged her towel close to her, hoping against hope that the janitor had turned on the hot water this morning. 

As she neared the shower block she began to feel a soft vibration beneath her feet. Turning the final corner she discovered the vibration coming from the rhythmic pounding of a student's feet on the flooring. 

“Sasha you're up... Earlier than I expected,” She said, tapping her shivering friend on the shoulder.

“I wanted a shower before everyone else piled in this morning but when I got here, look,” she gestured to the frosted glass doorway. 

Aside from the fact the door looked like it hadn't been washed for about a century the only thing out of the ordinary was a large poorly written note which simply read

Showers out of order until further notice

Christa sighed heavily. She had wanted to wash the sleep away from her body before her first class but the weather had put a thorough stop to that. Sasha turned and smiled tiredly 

“Let's meet downstairs and get breakfast together then?”

Christ let out a contented sigh.

“Sure, 20 minutes all right with you?” 

Sasha nodded and together the two girls almost ran back along the corridor to their rooms. Doors were still solidly closed on all sides as the blonde entered her own room and quickly set about finding some warmer clothes. 

By the time half of her clothing was sprawled across the floor she knew she had a problem. She'd packed her entire wardrobe but she still didn't have anything warm enough to wear out into the bitter morning and her jacket wouldn't fit around her if she wore more than two layers under it. Christa threw her hands behind her and stared at the ceiling, exasperated. She was about to resign herself to the fact she was going to be cold for the rest of the day when warmth enveloped her face, blinding her. It smelled familiar and, for a moment, she closed her eyes into it. 

“You can borrow that one, I’ve worn it though.” 

Christa's eyes snapped open. She dragged the pleasantly warm sweater from her face and stared upwards into soft brown eyes. 

“Umm, thanks,” Christa almost whispered a blush beginning to mark the edges of her face.

“Don't mention it. I'm off, later.” 

Christa instinctively reached back to grab Ymir's trousers.

“Sorry, haven't had a chance to shave this morning, something you wanted?” The brunette smirked down at her.

“I... thought you were wearing trousers,” Christa trailed off, burying her scarlet face in the sweater. Hearing Ymir's chuckle behind her only made the embarrassment worse.

“I'll remember that next time you grope my legs when I'm about to go jogging,” she giggled. 

Christa's eyebrows knitted together.

“You jog?” She asked. 

Ymir nodded, locking one arm over the other in a stretch.  
“Not that you ever thought to ask but yeah I jog, I'm a sport science major it kinda comes with the territory.” 

“So that's why you're so...” 

“Devilishly well-defined? I try!” She flashed Christa both rows of her teeth.

“I was going to say hot but yeah well-defined works too,” Christa smiled upwards. 

Ymir flushed violently and covered her face with the crook of her arm as best as she could manage. The brunette staggered out of the door and into the corridor, racing away as fast as her legs could carry her. Christa smirked satisfactorily to herself, standing and finally able to get ready for the first day of classes.

With just a little help from Ymir, she laughed to herself. 

After fifteen minutes of re-tidying all of her clothes away Christa was almost ready to meet Sasha for breakfast. She quickly grabbed her small bag from the desk and filled it with everything she thought she would need for that day; pens, pencils and any other stationary she found lying around, her phone and, most importantly, her class list. According to the list she had received on the day she arrived her first, and apparently only class for that day was called 'introduction to the ancient world' with Erwin Smith. She gulped aloud reading his name. Brilliant, she thought, the scary-looking blond guy is my head lecturer. Sighing she memorised the lecture hall's number and left to meet with Sasha. 

“Have you seen this Christa?” came a voice from the bottom of the stairs as the blonde descended. 

“What is it Sasha?” she asked, leaning in to get a closer look at the noticeboard. 

“Looks like there's a meeting after classes are done outside, oh wow they've called in everyone!” 

Christa had a feeling she knew what the meeting was going to be about, staff disbanding an illegal college party that practically destroyed the Sina dorm rooms they were bound to get a thorough talking to. She threw her arm around Sasha's shoulder, having to stand on her toes to do so. 

“Let's just go get breakfast and worry about that later I'm starving.” 

Sasha blinked away her surprise. 

“And here I thought I was the one driven by her stomach,” she laughed then suddenly stopped to eye-up her friend suspiciously.

“Why do you have such a huge sweater on anyway? And why do you smell so weird?”

Christa's cheeks felt hot.

“I didn't have any clothes warm enough so Ymir... Can we drop it and go get food please?”

A knowing smirk creased Sasha's face. She prodded her friend's cheeks, causing the pink already present to spread further across her face. Christa puffed out her cheeks as hard as she could.

“Aww c'mon Christa I’m only teasing you for having a little crush on your room-mate,” Sasha cooed, putting both hands on the sides of the blonde's face and squeezing until the shorter girl released all the air pent up inside her mouth in a satisfying flatulent sound that vibrated across the entryway. Christ continued to frown. 

“I. Do. NOT. Have. A. Crush. On. Ymir. Now can we PLEASE just get some breakfast?” She cried, walking away from her friend towards the doorway and forcing Sasha to follow.

“Of course not. Connie should be meeting us there after his morning run, he's trying out for the men's track team this year,” Sasha said with an air of pride in her voice. 

“Oh Ymir runs too, maybe we'll both be cheering people on at track meets this year,” Christa mused, then proceeding to quietly berate herself when Sasha raised her eyebrows at her knowingly again. 

The wind went straight through the girls as soon as they stepped outside. Christa hugged Ymir's sweater closer to her, grateful for the extra warmth it provided despite it looking like a dress on her. Sasha sneezed constantly as they made their way across the campus to the canteen. 

They had just reached the fountain when Sasha spotted a large group of runners jogging along the track on the other side of the campus. She waved violently at Connie, who threw his arms in the air to indicate that he'd meet up with them later. Christa glanced over repeatedly but couldn't see Ymir among the group. Telling herself not to be disappointed, lest Sasha ridicule her again, she followed the brunette into the canteen. 

“Can't believe it's nearly October,” Sasha said, nibbling on her fourth slice of toast, “it'll be Halloween soon.” 

Christa nodded over her bowl of cereal. In all the confusion of moving in she had almost forgotten about the holiday. Ever since she was very young her family had loved to dress her up as a different historical figure. Last year she'd been forced inside a tunic and had to answer to 'Queen Gorgo' for the entire evening. This year she was looking forward to dressing up as something normal, if she even dressed up at all. 

“Wonder what this place does for it, probably just a party or something right? Maybe you should ask Ymir,” Sasha continued, making the most obnoxious kissy faces after she said Ymir's name. 

“If you wiggle your eyebrows at me I swear to God I will not be held accountable for my actions,” Christa ribbed, jabbing at her friend's face with her fork. 

“Fine fine let's get going, class is going to start soon, Connie's gonna be pissed about missing breakfast but it's his own fault,” Sasha said, half to herself as they cleared away the remains of their meal. 

The wind whistled through the trees as the girls made their way out of the canteen to make their way towards the main building. Then Christa saw her, her long legs still pumping her around campus. 

Thunk.

She heard the familiar laugh echo across the campus. 

“Christa are you okay?” Sasha called from a little ways ahead of her, trying to stifle her own laughter. 

“Yeah, ouch!”

Sasha coughed back more laughter.

“That lamppost really came out of no-where huh?”

“Oh shut up, let's get to class before I manage to embarrass myself again.” 

*

The lecture hall was even colder than outside. As soon as the girls had chosen their seats and sat down they were shivering again. 

“Ugh when are they going to turn the radiators on I think my butt's now stuck to the chair,” Sasha said, trying in vain to manoeuvre herself into a better position. 

“I think I’ll get used to it,” Christa replied, swaddling herself into Ymir's sweater.   
Sasha rolled her eyes. 

“Well some of us don't have our girlfriend's sweater to keep us warm.” 

The blonde poked her tongue out at her friend and turned her attention to the front of the classroom where a tall blond man had just entered.

“I think you've all met me at some point over the past few days,” he began, “But in case you haven't, my name is Professor Erwin Smith and this is introduction to the ancient world.” 

He moved towards the massive rolling blackboard behind the desk and pulled it several times until a list of rules scrolled into view.

“Now I have to keep this brief because you all have a meeting to get to when this is done. The rules are simple; respect me and I’ll respect you, do your work on time and to a high standard and we'll have no problems with each other and for the love of God read up on your ancient sources outside of class I don't want another student who thinks that Ephialtes was a hunchback. Or Paris Hilton.” 

Christa chuckled under her breath and glanced at Sasha to see if she had got the joke as well. She hadn't. In fact she hadn't been listening for a while now, her head resting neatly on crossed arms on the desk. When she looked around the lecture hall it seemed that most people were either sleeping or were still so hungover from the night before they looked like death himself. 

“I got it, just so you know,” came an unfamiliar voice from her other side. 

She turned around and came face-to-face with the blond boy Connie joked that she looked like in the canteen. He smiled warmly and Christa couldn't help but return it. The boy offered his hand and Christa took it. 

“I'm Armin by the way, Armin Arlert,” he whispered, glancing to make sure Professor Smith wasn't looking their way. 

“Christa. Christa Renz,” she replied. 

They chatted in hushed tones for the rest of the lecture, Christa learning that Armin was a childhood friend of Mikasa and her brother Eren and Armin learning that Christa's room-mate was the Infamous Ymir. 

“Reiner and Bertholdt told us about her on our first day here, is she really that bad?” Armin asked, obvious curiosity lacing his voice. 

“She was a little... hard to get used to. But she's great once you get to know her a little,” she answered, a small smile playing on her lips. 

Armin nodded shortly in reply but before he could speak again Erwin was wrapping up his first lecture. 

“You will get an assignment list next week with all the research information you'll need this semester, now if you'll all follow me we'll make our way to the main hall.” 

His eyes watched over the small class sternly before he sharply turned to leave the room. Christa tapped Sasha on the back of the head, causing her friend to squirm and flail one of her arms. The blonde leant down by her friend's ear.

“It's lunchtime after this.”

The brunette's head snapped up. 

“You're an awful liar, Christa,” she said, standing and cracking her neck with a sigh, “let's just get this meeting over with.” 

Armin waited for them at the door and, after a few brief introductions, the three of them set off to follow the rest of the class towards the main hall, situated just off from the atrium in the main building. 

The highest ceiling Christa had ever seen greeted the freshmen as they wandered through the pair of massive double doors from the atrium. There were rows and rows of seats and desks stretching the entire length of the room, at least half of them already filled with bemused-looking students. The three friends grabbed seats and waited, listening to the quiet buzz of gossip from the other students. 

“Nice sweater, your room-mate must be one helluva girl.” 

“Stuff off Ymir.” 

Her room-mate smiled and took the free seat next to her. 

“Looks good on you,” Ymir continued, pinching Christa's cheek playfully when she pouted at her, “Oh, before I forget, smooth move this morning with the lamppost, I had to stop running for about 5 minutes because I couldn't stop thinking about it and laughing.”

Christa rolled her eyes and looked the other way, feeling the smirk burning into her back.

After what seemed like an eternity the rest of the student body dribbled into the enormous hall.. Erwin walked straight through the centre of the room to stand in front of the lectern. 

“QUIET!” he bellowed and a rippling silence descended. He cleared his throat, causing several students in the front rows to wince. 

“You are all no doubt aware that last night an illegal party took place on the college campus. Aside from the obvious dangers that this poses to our students, the damage caused to the Sina dormitory is almost irreparable. And as such it has been decided that all those who attended this 'party' will now be responsible for clearing up the mess. You will all be given 1 black sack when you leave here and we expect them all to be filled by this evening and the dorm rooms all spotless. There will be an inspection,” he finished, staring intensely at the body of young people in front of him. 

Silence. 

“Welp,” Ymir said, standing and preparing to leave, “guess I’ll see you back in our room later.”

Christa hooked her arm around Ymir's elbow. 

“Oh hell no, you are not getting out of this one. They saw us leaving last night Ymir and you're pretty easy to recognise.”

“But I don't wanna,” she whined, making a pathetic attempt at pulling away from the blonde. 

“If you don't I’ll have to talk to Zoe about you...” Christ said, shrugging. 

She felt Ymir physically tense. 

“Okay you win let's go,” she said quickly, tightening her grip around Christa's elbow and pulling her over a few rows of desks towards the door. 

“Bags girls,” came a voice as two large refuse sacks were thrust in their hands. Ymir tried to get away as quickly as possible. 

“We'll get it done see you later, dammit Christa move,” the taller girl panted, yanking Christa away from the woman in glasses. 

The woman merely smiled politely, winking cheekily at Christa as they passed. Christa offered an apologetic smile and allowed herself to be pulled outside and over to the fountain. They then followed the rest of the student body trundling towards the Sina dormitory.

*

“Ymir for the last time that is not funny put it down!” Christa yelled, trying to hold in her laughter as she once again whipped the third toilet paper beard from her room-mate's face. 

“But I was being Santa for you,” She pouted.

They had been tasked with cleaning the first floor hallway, the same place that less than 24 hours before Christa had thrown beer all over Reiner. For the last hour Ymir had done little to actually help the cleaning effort and instead fashioned herself a new outfit out of all the rubbish she'd found lying around, including three different toilet paper beards. 

“I wish you'd stop it, this is supposed to be a punishment!”

Ymir smiled brightly and dumped the pile of rubbish she had collected into one of the black sacks that had been dumped unceremoniously on the floor. 

“See we're like halfway there already,” she said, grabbing a broom and starting to sweep together another mound of plastic cups and toilet paper. 

Christa glanced along the corridor. It was looking cleaner, certainly but so would most things if the before shot had looked as bad as the Sina dormitory had when they arrived. She then saw Annie race past with what appeared to be several full sacks of trash in her hands. 

“Everything's a competition with those two,” Ymir mused, dropping another armful of trash in a bag. 

“Hm?”

“Annie and Mikasa. They're both on my course and even jogging around the track this morning started a competition,” she said, tying the first bag together and throwing it to the side of the room, “you can tell they're really close though.”

A contented smile settled on Christa's face. 

“Yeah I can see that.”

Ymir hoisted the now full bags of trash over her shoulders. Christa had to look away to stop herself openly drooling. She followed her room-mate outside, the two of them having to duck out of the way of an argument between Eren and the boy with two-tone hair. Armin waved at the two girls as they passed, utterly defeated. 

The wind was even stronger than the morning when they got outside. They walked briskly to the dust bins behind their own dorm. 

“I really like Autumn,” Christa said when they were back in their room. Ymir raised her eyebrows.

“Yeah what's not to like, the constant threat of rain? The leaves falling everywhere? The rain falling on the leaves?” 

“Okay I get it no need to get sarcastic,” the blonde rolled her eyes and swaddling herself deeper into Ymir's sweater. 

“One thing I do like about the Autumn? Short girls in over-sized sweaters.” 

*

October rolled around faster than any of the students were expecting. Assignments quickly piled on top of one another as more classes started. Christa spent most of her time studying, either in her bedroom or she had taken to sitting on the bleachers in the crisp morning air and watching the sport majors jog around the track. She once heard the coach asking Ymir what her secret was, as her running time had improved so dramatically since the start of the semester. Ymir had only laughed, but Christa could have sworn she saw her glance in her direction. 

One particularly rainy evening Christa was sat on her bed reading another volume of Ilse Langer's historical journal, wearing another one of her room-mate's sweaters. Ymir was sitting at the end of her own bed, sorting through piles of clothing to be taken down for washing.

“So what do you guys do for Halloween here? Just a party or something right?” Christa asked, marking the page in her book. 

Ymir glanced behind her, throwing another shirt into a bag. 

“Yeah we have a costume party, and a witch burning.”

Christa almost dropped her book. 

“Excuse me?”

“A witch burning. This town was famous for it's witch hunting back in the day so every year we choose a student to dress as a witch and then we 'burn' them, y'know for charity or something.” 

“Oh,” was the only thing Christa could utter.

“Yeah you pay a dollar and get to chuck water balloons at the witch, to 'cleanse' them. Marco made a lot of money last year.”

Christa's eyebrows knitted together.

“Couldn't that be considered bullying though?”

Ymir, who had turned back to her pile of laundry, shook her head. 

“They have to volunteer, Hanji's orders, she organises almost everything.”

Christa nodded.

“So what are you dressing up as this year?” she asked. 

“You'll see.”

The blonde groaned inwardly. 

“Why won't you tell me?” 

Ymir stood and shouldered the large bag full of clothing she had been packing. 

“Because surprises are fun sometimes, see you later!” She smiled, lugging the bag with her when she exited. 

*

“Are you playing or what?” Ymir asked, flashing the deck of cards in the shorter girl's face. 

“But I’ve never played poker before Ymir,” Christa answered, swatting the cards away as Ymir darted them in her face again. 

“We're not playing for money Christa!” 

Christa slouched back against the wall. 

“Fine then, if it's just for fun,” she said, setting her book down on her pillow and forcing herself to sit on the floor next to the other guests in the room. 

“Okay then, strip poker it is then.” 

“Ymir!” 

“Annie and Mikasa already agreed and, I think you'll find, so did you a few moments ago.” 

Christa groaned loudly.

“We'll go easy on you, don't worry,” Mikasa added, wrapping her scarf tighter around her neck. 

“Thanks,” the blonde offered in reply as her room-mate slumped next to her. 

Ymir began dealing the cards, Christa silently thanking any god she could that she'd decided to wear several layers to battle the freezing weather outside. Across the circle from her Annie was sat cross-legged, staring straight at the ground. 

“Are you all right?” Christa whispered across the circle, just loud enough for Annie to pick up.

Annie nodded without looking up, picking up the cards Ymir dealt her and eyeing them up.

“Just, concentrating.” 

Ymir leant to the side.

“Ready to get naked, princess?”

“Not really,” she uttered in reply. 

*

“Not again,” came the lamented cry as cards were scattered across the room for the umpteenth time that evening, “You said you'd never played this game before!” 

Christa shrugged, rolling the sleeves of Ymir's sweater back down her arms against the draft coming from under the door. 

“Call it a natural talent, now I think you'll find you owe me a bra Ymir, off.” 

Ymir scowled, slowly unhooking one of the only pieces of clothing she had left and letting it drop unceremoniously to the floor. 

“I'm starting to like this game,” Christa mused. Ymir offered a suitably offensive finger gesture in reply and turned to Annie and Mikasa. 

“Don't you think she's a little too good at this game girls?” she asked, crossing her arms and poking her tongue out at the blonde, “you don't get to look at all this any more either.”

Annie shrugged and removed her second sock, folding it neatly with her growing pile of clothes behind her. Mikasa smirked as she removed her own blouse and threw it behind her. 

“You look good Annie.”

“Shut up and play the game,” Annie replied dryly, though Christa swore she saw the beginnings of a blush splash on Annie's face. Ymir gave her room-mate a knowing look and then motioned for her to pick up the cards. 

“Okay then, if you two lose to Christa next round, you have to wear a couple's costume to the Halloween party. And no, you don't get to choose the costume,” the freckled girl finished, eyeing up the other two girls smugly. 

Mikasa pondered the idea quietly, glancing at Annie with a small smile. The blonde did not return it. 

“Mika we shouldn't...” 

“Stuff it we're in!” Mikasa said with a start. Annie's face fell to the floor. 

Christa dealt the cards in silence. A heavy atmosphere descended over the circle of girls. 

“Umm, I’m so sorry,” Christa stammered after about 5 minutes of complete silence. 

Mikasa made a grab for Christa's cards. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” she cried. 

“I told you we shouldn't do it but your dumb ass had to go and do something stupid!” Annie said, turning to face her room-mate and swiftly kicked her knees out from under her, not hard enough to hurt a great deal but Mikasa definitely felt it.

Christa stared at the two girls in horror. Mikasa was shaking with laughter, Annie's leg still outstretched in front of her. Ymir leant against her room-mate's bed in satisfaction.

“So I’ll get your costumes to you before the party?” she smirked. 

Annie glowered at her. 

“You're gonna get it Ymir,” she said, gathering up the cards from the centre of the circle and starting to deal the cards again, “If you lose this round you have to run to the fountain and back.”

The brunette shrugged. A devious smile appeared on Annie's lips. 

“Naked.” 

“Fine, bring it on Leonhardt,” Ymir replied, picking up the cards she had been dealt. 

“Oh and you have to beat Christa too.” 

Christa jumped at the mention of her name.

“Umm, I just thought I’d.. sit this one out,” she stammered, trying to push her cards back towards the deck in the middle of the circle but being stopped by her room-mate's foot. 

“We're all in,” Ymir whispered, looking at her cards, betraying no emotion. 

A few moments later the cards were cleared away. 

“Christa could you not have TRIED to lose, just this once?” Ymir yelled, jumping to her feet.

“I wasn't even going to play that round, I was giving you a fighting chance for goodness sake!” Christa replied, standing as tall as she could and waving her arms at the brunette. 

Annie stood, hands in her pockets. 

“Off you go then,” she gestured to the door with her nose. 

Ymir turned to Christa, staring at her straight in the eyes as she removed her underwear, the one item of clothing she had left. 

“It's a good thing you're cute,” she said, ruffling the blonde's hair as she raced to the door, “If you're filming this you've gotta keep up,” she called to Annie as she sped down the corridor. 

Annie whipped her phone out of her pocket and pounded after Ymir, both girls screaming about the cold weather. 

“They're gonna get in serious trouble for this,” Mikasa muttered under her breath. 

“She, she even has freckles on her butt,” Christa said, blinking several times and flushing scarlet. 

Mikasa waved her hand in front of the shorter girl's face but got no response. 

“Well we might as well watch them get themselves expelled,” the black-haired girl shrugged, walking to the window and climbing on the desk to get a better look. 

Christa followed, still dazed, and clambered up next to her. Ymir and Annie had managed to make it outside, Ymir still screaming about the cold and how much she hated Annie for this and the blonde was filming everything. The girls still inside could hear people along the corridor shuffling around in their rooms to figure out what was going on and cheering from the windows when they finally saw a naked freckled girl and a blonde girl in her underwear running around the frozen fountain. 

The girls were running back when a third figure came racing towards the water feature.

“They're in for it now,” Christa said pointing to the fast approaching man, “That's Professor Smith.”

The girls inside could only watch as their room-mates were dragged away, Ymir by her ear, towards the main college building. Mikasa and Christa climbed down from the desk and the former started putting her trousers and socks back on. 

“I'm gonna get an earful when she gets back,” Mikasa sighed, wrapping her scarf back around her neck. 

Christa flopped down onto her bed.

“I know that feeling,” she said, grabbing her book from her pillow and letting it fall unceremoniously on her face. She heard Mikasa sit next to her, pulling her shoes on to leave. The taller girl paused.

“Worth it though.” 

Christa sat up, letting the book fall into her lap.   
“Wait are you...?”

Mikasa smiled slightly and then got up to leave the room. 

“I better get back so she has someone to rant to when she rolls in later, see you later Christa,” she said, closing the door lightly and padding to her room at the end of the corridor.

The blonde sighed and shuffled to the corner of her bed so she could lean again the wall and wait for her room-mate to return with whatever punishment Erwin had decided they deserved. 

You'll be lucky if you don't get expelled you idiot, she chuckled, settling in for a long night of reading before her freckled room-mate returned. 

 

*

“YMIR, I THOUGHT WE'D MATURED PAST THIS!” Christa screamed along the corridor the next day. 

“You didn't wait up for me,” came the reply as Ymir threw herself down the stairs and out onto the college grounds for her morning run. 

Mikasa walked out of her room as Christa was turning to walk to the showers. 

“You have a little um...” she started. The shorter girl threw her arms in the air. 

“I know I have a moustache on my face okay?!” 

“Just thought I’d point it out,” the scarfed girl replied, taking her leave to follow Ymir out onto the grounds. 

“Stupid Ymir,” Christa seethed under her breath, stomping along the corridor to the showers so she could wash her face before classes.

Ymir and Annie, after being caught by Erwin, were swiftly handed off to Zoe Hanji with express instructions to 'punish them severely.' Zoe decided that cleaning duty for the next week, complete with itchy green janitorial uniforms. When Christa saw Ymir wearing it when she woke up she almost burst an artery laughing at her. The girls had been told that if they put another toe out of line they would be banned from all of the Halloween events, something Ymir wasn't willing to miss. 

“I told you so,” Christa had told her, “I'm just glad you didn't get expelled.”   
“Aww you'd miss my face?” she cooed.

“No, frankly it would be quieter without you.” 

Ymir tried to look as upset as she could manage.

“I think you'd miss my face.” 

“I'd miss you in that uniform more, you look good,” she smiled. Ymir's freckles changed colour. 

“You have a moustache on your face.” 

Christa scrubbed at her face for a solid five minutes before the moustache, and half of her skin, were finally removed. 

“I thought I’d hid the sharpies well enough, where does she keep getting them from?” 

*

For the first time since term began Christa actually saw her room-mate begin to study in the evenings, book in one hand and a messy doodle-filled notebook in the other. 

“So you can study when you put your mind to it then?” she asked over her third Ilse Langer journal. 

“I just really want to see Mikasa and Annie in those costumes, damn Hanji.” 

“Why don't you get someone to help you?” 

Ymir looked up from the notes she was writing. 

“If that's your backwards way of asking to help me Renz...” 

Christa shook her head.

“I know nothing about whatever it is you're studying, I meant ask Annie and Mikasa you dolt.” 

Ymir contemplated the idea for a moment, pen shoved up her nose in deep thought. Christa cringed but said nothing.

“You know I think I will, Mikasa got the highest grade on the course for our first assignment and Annie's not too shabby either. What are you working on anyway?”  
Christa flashed the book she was reading. 

“You really like Ilse Langer don't you?” 

The shorter girl nodded.

“She's one of the most famous writers from the period, and one of the most reliable. She really brings the history to life!”

Ymir smiled warmly.

“You know you're cute when you get all passionate about history,” She said, giggling slightly when she saw how red Christa's ears had become. 

“Oh shut up,” Christa snapped, dropping her book so she could cover her ears. 

The following evening, after saying good night to Sasha and Connie, Christa returned to her room to find Mikasa, Annie and Ymir spread across the floor in deep study-mode. The blonde slipped past the others so she could perch herself on the edge of the bed and watch the chaos unfold. 

“Ymir we've gone over this like ten times already, even Annie's got it now,” Mikasa lamented, circling a passage of text for what looked like the billionth time.

Christa watched Annie's eyes narrow but she didn't say anything.

“I just don't get science,” Ymir whined, trying to push the textbook away from them. 

“Then why did you major in sport-SCIENCE?” Mikasa asked, dragging the volume back towards the group. 

“I liked running.” 

“And you thought that would be enough? No wonder you've been here 3 years,” she muttered, “Well you'd better start concentrating because if your grades slip you'll be banned from all the school events this year. That goes for you too Anne,” she added to her room-mate. 

“I'm doing fine Mika, it's Ymir you really need to worry about.” 

Mikasa nodded, grabbing a pen and circling the same passage of text. 

“Okay homeostasis is the property of our system that tries to keep our condition stable, yes? Now the properties it regulates include...”   
“Temperature or pH,” Ymir answered almost immediately. 

“I think she's got it!” 

“Shut up” 

Christa fell back onto her bed giggling. 

“So how much studying have you done, princess?” came the snide comment to her giggling. 

“I'm all caught up, I just like watching the chaos.” 

And you. 

Ymir snorted. 

“Lucky for some. At least the Halloween party is on Thursday, anyone know who the witch is this year?” 

“Some second year called Mina Carolina, I hear not many people volunteered this year,” Annie replied, turning the page and groaning at the new blocks of text in front of them. 

“Are you two going to concentrate on this or...?” Mikasa asked, tapping her pen irritably on the open book. 

“Christa's distracting me,” Ymir said flatly, flashing a smile at her flustered room-mate. 

“I am not Ymir, now concentrate or I won't go with you to the Halloween party on Thursday” 

Ymir immediately became gripped by the words on the page. 

“So, that homeostasis is sure great huh?” 

Christa laughed and grabbed one of Isle Langer's journals from her desk and began to flick through it aimlessly. 

“You idiot.” 

*

Thursday evening was already manic. Half of the campus had been shut down for the entire day so the celebrations could be set up on the sports field.   
“You're not wearing that.” Ymir said flatly. 

“But it's adorable.” 

“You have a warped sense of what's adorable Christa.” 

Christa stood in front of her room-mate and flipped the hood on her Halloween costume up. Ymir continued to stare on unimpressed as the blonde danced around her in small circles. 

“You're not wearing that outside it's ugly as hell!” Ymir said, turning around to grab her own costume from her bed. 

“But I’ve never had the opportunity to wear my own costume, Ymir pleaaasse?” 

The brunette glanced behind her. 

“Fine, at least I can still carry you in that thing,” she muttered, whipping her shirt off to replace it with a long open cotton shirt. 

“Excuse me?” 

“Nothing, stop staring at me you perv.” 

Christa stuck her tongue out but said nothing, choosing instead to lay on her bed until her room-mate had gotten herself ready. 

“We're supposed to be meeting Mikasa and Annie outside soon,” she said, checking her watch, “What are you making them wear anyway I heard screaming earlier?” 

Ymir chuckled under her breath. 

“You'll see,” Ymir answered, tying her cravat around her neck and grabbing the enormous pirate hat, the only thing left lying on the bed, “shall we be off, princess?”

Christa leapt to her feet and followed the taller girl to the door. 

“We shall, and will you stop calling me that?” 

Ymir shook her head, throwing one arm around Christa's shoulders. It felt like all of the blonde's nerve endings were on fire inside her onesie pyjamas. They walked briskly down the corridor and waited at the entrance for Annie and Mikasa to arrive.

“Do you think we should just go back up and knock for them?” Christa asked, shuffling around against the draft coming into the building from the doorway. 

“You heard the screaming earlier, I’m not risking my life on Halloween!” 

The stomping of feet told the girls they were no longer alone. Mikasa was the first to appear. 

“Ymir you are so dead for this.” 

A cheeky smile spread across Ymir's entire face. 

“And you two have to hold hands for the entire evening,” she called. 

“We agreed to the costumes, like hell are we doing that too!” Annie said, leaping the last few steps.

Christa had to cough to stop herself laughing so hard she fell over. 

“You guys look...” 

“Like a bottle of ketchup and mustard, yes we do,” Mikasa answered, wrapping her scarf around her neck, “can we just get this over with now?” 

Ymir shook her head smugly. 

“Not until you two make with the hand-holding, we don't have all night.” 

Christa saw Annie's hands ball into fists. Mikasa reached across and wrenched one of those hands towards her, interlocking their fingers. 

“It's just one night, no-one will notice in the crowd Anne,” she reassured her, absently stroking her thumb across the blonde's knuckles. 

“You just don't want Ymir to win,” Annie sighed, relaxing into the grip a little more. 

Apparently satisfied, the pirate captain lead the others outside and directly across the campus towards the sports field. 

They could see the lights shining before they'd even reached the field. 

“Hannes is going to have fun clearing this up tomorrow,” Mikasa breathed, half to herself. 

“Who's Hannes?” Christa asked innocently.  
“He's one of the janitors here, he's known Eren and I since we were kids, always looking out for us even now.” 

“Sounds like a good man,” Christa said with a smile. 

“He is,” Mikasa answered, returning the smile with a warm look in her eyes. 

“Hey Mikasa,” came a voice from the fairground in front of them.

The black-haired girl turned to face the quickly approaching pair of boys.

“Oh, Jean, good evening,” she said pleasantly.

Christa saw Annie's hand instinctively grip onto her room-mate's tighter. Her eyes narrowed. 

“You look pretty good this evening, you wanna hang out or something?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Annie took a defensive step towards Mikasa and held out their interlocked hands. 

“Looks like she's busy tonight, horse-face.” 

Jean ripped off the mask he had been wearing.

“I'm Sagittarius dammit! Come on Mikasa ditch her and hang with me,” he almost pleaded. 

Christa opened her mouth to speak but Ymir placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Just watch,” she whispered. 

Mikasa took a step forward but before she could say whatever it was she wanted to say to Jean Annie's leg connected heavily with his knee, knocking him flat onto his back. The other boy raced towards him and pulled him to his feet. 

“Jean are you alright?” he asked, hastily patting Jean down to remove most of the dust from his costume. 

The slightly shorter second year cracked his neck and pushed his companion away. 

“I'm fine Marco let's just go before I embarrass myself any further,” he said, shaking the remaining dizziness from his head. 

Marco offered a sympathetic smile to the group of girls and followed Jean back towards the dormitories. Ymir wrapped her arm around Christa's shoulder. 

“Let's go see the carnival, maybe I’ll win you a prize,” she smirked. 

Christa poked her freckles. 

“And maybe I’ll win a prize for myself,” she said, letting her finger linger over her room-mate's cheek until she could feel Ymir's face flush hot under her fingertip. 

After bidding farewell to Mikasa and Annie (Ymir leaving them with strict instructions to keep holding hands the entire evening or face an even worse punishment the next day, something neither of the two girls seemed that fussed about) Ymir and Christa made their way onto the sport's field, where the carnival was already in full swing. Bright lights flashed in every colour imaginable as they wandered past stalls and stalls of food. 

“Are you sure you don't want anything?” Ymir asked, rubbing her nose with one of her fingers so she didn't have to look the shorter girl in the eye. 

“No I think I’ll just have you win me that prize now,” she answered, pointing to a relatively empty stand a short way ahead of them. It was a shooting gallery. 

“Oh okay princess let's do this,” Ymir said, slamming a dollar bill down on the counter and picking up one of the air rifles strapped down to the stand, “which one do you want I’m a pretty slick shot.” 

*

“Ymir I think maybe it's time you gave up,” Christa said lightly, putting a hand on the taller girl's shoulder to try and drag her away. 

“No I’ve got to win you that prize,” Ymir answered through gritted teeth while she lined up her millionth shot of the night. It missed. 

Christa clenched her hand tight around her room-mate's shoulder and thrust herself in front of her room-mate, dropping her own dollar onto the counter and grabbing her five small caps from the attendant. Ymir let her rifle drop to her side as she couldn't help but giggle as Christa struggled to hold the weapon upright enough to get a clear shot. 

“You're never gonna do it, you can't even hold the damn thing up!” 

Pop!

The attendant cheered louder than anyone else in the crowd that had gathered to witness Ymir's losing streak. Christa almost slammed the rifle back down into it's holster, apologising for making so much noise. 

“We have a winner, what'll it be you little goddess?” the plucky attendant asked, waving his arm across the myriad of prizes behind him.

Christa smiled and pointed directly at the largest prize on the stand, a plush doll of what looked like a garden gnome, pitch black eyes and ratty hair making it all the more menacing. As soon as the attendant had handed Christa her prize the blonde immediately passed it over to her room-mate, who reluctantly carried the poor creature. 

“Why the hell did you pick this one?” Ymir asked, grimacing at the plush's sinister fanged grin. 

“Because it reminded me of you,” Christa answered simply. 

“Are you freaking serious?” 

Christa beamed in reply as the two girls shuffled away from the gathering crowd of people by the shooting gallery. 

“Where'd you get that fugly thing Christa?” came a voice from behind them.

“Shut it short-stack,” Ymir hissed, hugging the plush closer to her chest. 

Connie stuck his tongue out and turned back to Christa. 

“Come on the fireworks are about to start,” he said, starting towards the stage at the end of the field farthest from the main college building.

Christa made to join Sasha and Connie, who themselves were dressed as salt and pepper shakers, but Ymir cut her off. 

“Sorry guys we're heading the other way, see you later,” the brunette called, grabbing Christa by the hand and pulling her back towards the main building. 

Christa just offered a bemused shrug and allowed herself to be lead back to the atrium. Once inside Ymir lead her towards the end of a long corridor, leading to the roof. 

“Why did you bring me here? We're going to miss the fireworks Ymir!” Christa said, pouting. 

“We're gonna get the best view of the fireworks,” the brunette answered, craftily opening the door leading to the rooftop stairwell.   
Christa followed reluctantly. It was so dark inside the two girls had to grope the walls in order to fumble their way up. Once up the several flights of stairs the fresh breeze ripped straight through them. Ymir shrugged off her captain's jacket and wrapped it around the shorter girl's shoulders 

“You really are a gentleman,” Christa smiled up at her. Ymir scratched the back of her neck. 

In the distance the girls could hear Hanji calling out to the crowds of students waiting below for the fireworks to begin. Another breeze rumbled across the rooftop and Christa shifted closer to Ymir. So close she could feel Ymir's breath on the face. 

“Hm? What's up?” 

The blonde shuffled around, not willing to look her room-mate In the face. Her own was so flushed she could barely bring herself to look further than her feet. She didn't even see the large hand hooking under her chin to force her face upwards.

“What's wrong?” Ymir smiled gently and Christa's heart almost leapt out of her chest. 

“It's... Umm I...,” she stammered, her brain completely focused on the finger that had started making small circles under her chin. 

The crowd cheered but the two girls didn't hear them.

They didn't hear the first fireworks blaze into the sky. 

Christa only felt the soft grace of Ymir's lips linking with her own as colour exploded into the night.


	6. Avoidance makes the heart grow fonder

“I'm sorry.”

Before the last firework had exploded into the sky she was racing back towards the door. Christa sunk back against the barrier, wrapping herself as deeply as she possibly could into the jacket. The tears fell faster than she wanted. She tried to stop them but still they fell, soaking into the sleeves, anywhere Christa tried to wipe them off. They kept falling long after her eyes had closed.

*

Red eyes fluttered open, stinging against the frozen daylight. The jacket clung to her body, she could still smell Ymir on it. She coughed and a cloud of smoky breath rose from her lips. She checked her watch, it was already past noon. 

She slammed her head against the barrier. 

“Looks like I’m too late for class,” she whispered, coughing again and wiping her nose on Ymir's jacket sleeve. 

She managed to shakily pull herself to her feet so she could look over the barrier. Beneath the thick layer of fog circling the roof she could just make out the tents and stands being carefully packed away from the night before, the trucks parked in a perfect line in the parking lot. 

Students came and left their classes while she watched from the roof top. She found the ugly plush toy she had won for Ymir in the shooting gallery the night before, stuffed roughly against one of the now useless chimneys that littered the rooftop. 

Well I still think you're cute. 

She pulled it out, patting off the dirt and moisture as best she could. Hugging it close she checked her watch again. It was almost dinner now. 

“I wonder if she'll be in our room,” Christa thought out loud, starting to carefully pick her way down the stairs back into the college. 

She passed no-one, everyone was already at dinner. She hadn't eaten all day but she wasn't hungry, there was a tight black knot in the pit of her stomach. When she reached their dorm room Ymir wasn't there. 

Figures, she thought, even managing to laugh a little. She flopped onto her bed, throwing Ymir's stuffed animal onto the other girl's bed. Slamming doors echoed along the hallway and Christa could swear she heard Annie and Mikasa bickering at the other end of the corridor but she didn't want to get up. 

Ymir didn't come back that night.   
*  
“And she just, left. She apologised and then just, left,” Christa repeated for the fifth time that morning. 

Sasha nodded, patting her friend on the shoulder.

“You're just going to have to talk to her,” she said, heaping more butter onto a slice of toast.

“And how do you suggest I do that? I haven't seen her!”

Sasha chewed oh her bread for a second before replying.

“Easy, you find her. Right Mikasa?” 

The black-haired girl nodded once before falling back into eating her breakfast. Christa leant back against her chair, sighing towards the ceiling. 

“I guess you're right, Mikasa have you or Annie seen Ymir since yesterday?”

Mikasa pointed towards the sport's field. 

“Annie was training with her yesterday, she didn't come to class though.” 

“And Annie is...?”

“Probably still in bed, that's where I left her.” 

Sasha wiggled her eyebrows at Christa, a small smile creased the blonde girl's lips. 

“Oh shut up,” Mikasa glared at the girls. They shrugged. 

“We didn't say anything,” Sasha smirked, “Christa you feel a little warm, are you sure you're all right from staying up on that roof? It is November.” 

Christa put a hand to her forehead, furrowing her brow into her palm. 

“I'm fine, don't worry about me.”

Mikasa stood to leave, gathering up the remains of her breakfast. 

“She's got a one track mind, you'll probably find her out at the track.” 

“Did you mean to make that pun?” Sasha asked. Mikasa walked away before answering, tray in hand.

“I thought she was going to hit you with that tray,” Christa giggled, turning to see Sasha white-faced next to her. 

“So did I. Are you heading out to the track now?” 

The blonde shook her head. 

“Finals will be here before we know it, I’m making a head start on studying so I’ll be in the library,” She coughed out the last few words but waved off her friend's concerned stare, “I'm fine, promise.”

She spent the rest of the day in the library, trying to focus her mind on something other than the pounding in her head and the aching still tugging at her lips. 

“Ugh, Why'd she have to be such a good kisser?!” 

“Miss Renz I appreciate your plight but could you please keep it down while you're in the library?” 

Christa glanced around at the stunned silent faces of her peers on all sides. She let her face fall into her hands on the desktop. 

“Yes ma'am.”

When the low buzz of her fellow students returned Christa heard the creak of a chair beside her. 

“So Ymir's a good kisser eh?” 

“Reiner what do you want I’m trying to study?” 

The blond boy propped his chin up on his palm and waited until Christa slowly lifted her face from the desk. 

“She run off? She likes to do that, run away from her problems,” he said frowning, “you look rough, you sure you're okay?”

“I'm fine, what did you say about Ymir running away from her problems?” 

“That she likes to run away from them, take it she didn't go back to your room last night?” 

Christa nodded. 

“Just give it some time, she'll come crawling back to you eventually,” he said, stroking his chin with a finger. 

“What makes you so sure?” She asked. 

He smiled softly.

“You're the first person she's let stay in her room in three years. To me that makes you a little bit special.” 

“Yeah only after I tinfoiled her entire living space,” Christa sighed, thumping her head against the book on the desk. 

“Just be yourself with her, I’m sure that bitch will come around eventually,” Reiner smirked when the shorter blonde, “and if that doesn't work out there's always me!” 

He winked and Christa cringed playfully. She smiled at him softly.

“I wonder what Bertholdt would say about that,” she giggled. 

Reiner flushed slightly. He coughed and let his stoic façade grace his cheeks once more. 

“Just don't give up on her stupid ass, she'll come crawling back eventually, tail between her legs.” 

Christa pondered this for a moment.

“I wonder what Ymir would look like as a dog?” 

“Probably something small and yappy like a chihuahua,” Reiner answered, chuckling to himself at the thought. 

Christa smacked him on the arm and coughed violently. 

“I... Was thinking... Something more handsome... Like I dunno a husky or something,” she panted between coughs.   
Reiner immediately put his arm around her to calm her. She couldn't breathe, it felt like her entire chest was on fire. She tried shrugging off the burly blonde but he stuck fast, concern filling his eyes. 

As soon as she could almost breathe normally again she signalled that he could remove his arm. She still felt faint. She opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her. 

“You're not fine don't even bother with that shit,” Reiner said, putting the back of his hand against her forehead, rougher than Sasha had, “You are burning up. If you keep this up you're going to end up in hospital. 

Christa shook her head violently, knocking his hand away. 

“I'm fine, really, I just need to get an early night. Now if you'll excuse me I’m going to get some water.” 

From the corner of her vision she could see the blonde boy bite back a comment and instead simply chose to let her stumble out of the library and into the freezing hallways. 

*

After her lecture the following day Christa left Sasha and Armin and found herself wandering towards the sports field, more out of habit than anything else. 

“Meet at the library later?” Armin had asked before they parted. Christa had agreed but the pounding in her head was only going to serve as a distraction to any studying the blonde boy had planned for them later on. 

She felt her way up onto the bleachers overlooking the track and pulled a book out of her bag. The cold winds ripped through her thin jacket and for a second she missed the warmth of Ymir's enormous sweaters. 

Well I could always just steal one, she thought, Ymir hasn't been back to our room in days. 

She thumbed through the pages absently, more interested in the small group of girls, and Eren, in running gear warming up at the start of the 100m track. It wasn't hard to pick out Ymir in the crowd, her bronze skin and menacing gait were a dead give away. She appeared to be arguing with Mikasa about something. A small smile played at Christa's lips. 

You are such an idiot, she sighed. 

Nausea hit her like a truck. Blood rushed to her head and no matter how she shook herself the feeling didn't shift. Heat washed over her entire body but she was almost numb to it now. Deciding she needed to get back to her bed for a while she dumped the unread book into her bag and rushed from the track, stealing one last glance at the practising girls. If she didn't know better she would have sworn she saw Ymir's face drop as she ran away. 

A short dissatisfying nap later Christa made her way slowly to the library to meet with Armin, her head still pounding against her skull. 

“You don't look so good,” he commented as she took the seat next to him. 

“Everyone's been saying that, I just need sleep that's all.” 

He turned to face the mountain of books scattered across their table. 

“If you say so.” 

Christa nodded and flipped open the nearest book, ignoring her throbbing temples and starting to read. They both read in near silence for the next hour, only offering comment if they found a piece of information they thought the other would appreciate. Christa could feel the heat of her headache burning behind her eyes, she rubbed them and tried to continue reading. Next to her she heard Armin close his textbook. 

“What happened between you and Ymir?” he asked suddenly. 

“Nothing Mikasa hasn't already told you I’m sure,” she answered flatly, instantly regretting it when she saw the hurt look in the boy's eyes.

“Sorry.” 

Armin shook his head, smiling slightly. 

“No I didn't mean to pry, but can I offer some advice? History nerd to history nerd?” 

Christa chuckled and nodded, the blood swirling around her head making her more nauseous than before. 

“Nothing's ever solved by avoidance, I mean look at the Spartans.” 

“Armin I don't think the blood-thirsty Spartan warriors are the best example of why not to avoid something,” Christa said. 

It was the blonde boy's turn to chuckle. He opened one of the text books in front of him and pointed to a page. 

“The Spartan forces didn't turn up to the battle of Marathon during the Greco-Persian war, leaving the Athenian forces to fight the Persian armies on their own.

“I mean the Athenians won the battle but after that the hostilities between Sparta and Athens increased to the point where, even after winning the war against Persia, they ended up fighting each other a few years later, all because the Spartans avoided battle.” 

“So you're saying Ymir and I have to battle it out now or else start a second Peloponnesian war?” she smiled. 

Armin sighed in mock disappointment. 

“I wasn't finished! Athens then built a wall stretching from their city to the shore so they could keep their navy. Sparta were against the idea but Athens, instead of talking out the issue, went behind Sparta’s back and built the wall anyway.”

“So what you're saying is we have to communicate? Easier said than done considering she's been ignoring me Armin,” Christa said, biting back the urge to vomit. 

“Well I don't know what happened with you two, Mikasa wouldn't tell me, but I’m sure if you just talked to her you could work it out?” 

Christa tried to smile at him in thanks but stopped. Her entire body felt like lead. She moved to try and stand but as she lifted herself her legs gave way beneath her. 

She never felt herself hit the ground. 

She didn't hear Armin screaming for help. 

She couldn't remember the ambulance being called. 

 

“You're an idiot, you know that?”

“I know you can stop telling me.” 

The black-haired girl sat down on the grass. 

“Oh no, I’m going to keep telling you until you do something about it.” 

The other girl stared down at her incredulously.

“Like what?” 

“Oh I don't know, something crazy like... Apologising maybe?!” 

Ymir shook her head. 

“I can't just, I mean what if she hates me now? I can hardly walk back in all smiles like 'oh hey sorry I kissed you and then ran away leaving you to sleep on a roof in the middle of winter, still wanna date me?” 

Mikasa looked up from her stretch.

“I don't think you've ever been all smiles, “ she commented, “ but I don't think she hates you I mean look,” She pointed across to the bleachers by the track's 100m finish line.

Ymir's heart leapt into her mouth. 

Christa was sat thumbing her way through a text book absently, stealing glancing at the group of girls, and Eren, every time she lifelessly turned a page. She was shivering. Ymir took a tentative step towards her before stopping herself, remembering where she was. Annie wandered over from where she had been stretching at the other end of the practise field.

“Will you just talk to her please?” she said, leaning over Mikasa to help her stretch out her back. 

“I've already said I can't!” Ymir snapped. 

Annie smiled up at her. 

“I bet you've built up this entire scenario for what happens when you talk right? Well you're almost 100% wrong about it so just go over and apologise.” 

Mikasa's smile turned dark beneath Annie. 

“You're scared.” 

“Like fuck I am!” she yelled, kicking up a mound of dirt in front of her.

“You're scared because you let down your guard around someone and now you think you've messed it all up but you're too stubborn to do anything about it.” 

Annie's smile widened too. 

“Oh fuck you both I’m done here,” Ymir huffed, stalking away from the track back towards the main college building. 

*

Ymir lay on her bed all evening. Christa was still out so Ymir was able to catch up on her sleep without her in the room. It was pretty cowardly slipping out the window when she heard her room-mate approach the room, she knew that. But she couldn't help it. Maybe Mikasa was right. She was scared. 

No matter how she tried to talk herself, or even beat herself, out of it deep down she knew the black-haired girl was right. Well, shit. She tossed and turned on top of her bed sheets but couldn't settle. She could smell Christa everywhere, and every breath made her remember that kiss. You really are such a fucking coward, Ymir. 

She sat up, sleep was obviously not coming to her this evening, no matter how much she needed it. She scratched at her forehead, trying to think of a proper way to apologise. Anything I do will just sound sarcastic, ugh. 

They'd been flirting since the start of term, naturally Ymir had assumed that Christa felt the same way. I mean she did kiss her back right? She had replayed the scene so many times in her head it had become warped. She screamed internally. Flopping back onto her pillows she threw an arm across her face. 

“Is it really that fucking hard for you to just talk to her?” 

She glanced across to the other bed, perfectly made as usual. If she wanted to she could lay on Christa's bed, do anything she wanted. Good, you're getting fucked up the sleep deprivation is finally getting to you. She hasn't talked to you in nearly a week and it's not like your creepy thoughts are helping anything. 

Her eyes were barely staying open now. From outside she could hear someone racing down the corridor, footsteps thumping on the wooden floors. I loud rapping roused her from her almost slumber. 

“Ugh who the hell is that?” Ymir groaned, opening the door. 

It was Mikasa.

“I was trying to sleep.”

Smack.

The black-haired girl's hand whipped out and slapped Ymir squarely on the jaw. 

“You're an idiot.” 

“So you've told me,” Ymir replied bitterly, rubbing her injured face, “why the sudden courtesy call Ackerman?”

“It's Christa.”

The brunette froze in the doorway.

“What. Happened?” She asked, her voice was barely more than a breathless whisper.

“She's in hospital, she collapsed in the library. The paramedics said she has all the symptoms of pneumonia.”

Ymir's mouth went dry. Mikasa stared her down expectantly but her eyes immediately softened when she saw the look in her friend's eyes. She put a hand on a freckled cheek. 

“Sasha's getting Connie and they're taking his car to the hospital, go find her.”

It wasn't a request and Ymir knew that but her legs had turned to stone the moment Mikasa had said 'hospital.' Mikasa shook Ymir's shoulders.

“She waited for you on the bleachers every day, getting sicker and sicker. Now go find her for God's sake!”

A weak smile played on the brunette's lips.

“You didn't have to tell me about this, why did you?”

Mikasa glanced down the hallway where, out of the corner of her eye, Ymir picked out a familiar blonde bun and pair of piercing blue eyes.

“Because she'd kill me if I didn't.”

“I doubt you'd let her,” the taller girl chuckled, the feeling slowly returning to her legs, “but, thank you.” 

Mikasa smiled slightly and stepped aside so Ymir could start jogging down the hallway. She turned around. 

“Um Mikasa, where are Sasha and Connie?” 

This time it was Annie who answered. 

“Where do you think?” She almost laughed. 

Ymir rubbed the back of her neck.

“Oh yeah, thanks Annie, for everything.” 

“Go or they'll leave without you!”

Ymir nodded and raced out of the dorms at full speed, thanking all the gods she could think of that she was a runner. 

She burst through the doors into the cafeteria, whipping around wildly until she saw a familiar bald head rise from one of the tables towards the back. She leapt over two chairs in front of her and almost hit the wall before turning sharply and glowering at Connie. 

“What are you looking at fugly?” the shorter boy grimaced, eyeing Ymir up. 

“I'm coming with you to the hospital,” she said breathlessly. 

From the other side of the table Sasha rose from her seat.

“And why should we do that?” 

Ymir almost clutched at her throat, it was dry as a desert again. 

“Because I have to...” she trailed off, scratching at the back of her neck nervously. 

“What? Apologise? She waited for you on those bleachers, even though she was getting sicker and sicker and...” 

“I know! Dammit I know and I've been replaying the last few days over and over again in my head trying to figure out what to say and then this happens and,” She clutched at the sides of her head with balled fists, sinking to the floor. 

Beside her she heard the jingle of car keys and, when she finally decided to look up, saw a smiling Connie and Sasha staring down at her. 

“I think the car ride to the hospital will be punishment enough,” Sasha sighed, leaning on the shorter boy's shoulder. 

Ymir stood slowly, shaking the tears from her eyes and followed Sasha towards the car park, shooting Connie a knowing smirk as she passed him. 

“What?” 

“I saw that blush mister.” 

“Oh shut up fugly,” he huffed, sticking his tongue out and shouldering passed her to follow Sasha. 

*

“Oh God no. THIS is your car? I thought this was something one of the seniors brought in to use as an installation art piece!”

“Yeah yeah rub it in I know my car suck now get in,” Connie sighed, wrenching open the rusted door and staining the parking space red. 

After several attempts Ymir's door gave way and she flopped onto the dusty back seats, not bothering to put a seatbelt on.

“Springer you need to clean back here my lungs are fucking coated in dust now thanks.” 

Connie watched her from the mirrors.

“Hey you're only here because Sasha let you, now belt up and shut up or I’ll throw you out the window.”

Ymir pouted, then half-smiled and tapped the glass.

“Like you could even get the window open.” 

“Shut up,” Connie groaned, trying to get the car to tick into life. 

Sasha turned to face Ymir. 

“So why the sudden change of heart?” 

The car spluttered sickly into life, black fumes coughing from the exhaust. 

“I... Mikasa slapped me.” 

Sasha nodded with a knowing 'ahh.'

Ymir made a non-committal noise in reply, stroking the hairs on the back of her neck. 

“I mean I would have talked to her eventually, I really like Christa, I REALLY like Christa,” she repeated the last few words over and over, knowing that she meant them more and more each time she said them. 

She shook herself and came face-to-face with a smug Sasha Braus. 

“What?” 

Sasha shook her head lightly.

“Just nice to hear you not be a total ass hole for once,” She said, turning back to settle into the passenger seat again. 

The journey settled into an awkward silence after that, Ymir only occasionally offering a sarcastic comment about Connie's car, his driving, his baldness and it took every ounce of the young man's strength to not throw the brunette out onto the busy free-way.

“if she makes one more joke, “ he seethed under his breath, turning a sharp bend and half hoping the door would open and Ymir would fly out. 

“She's just nervous,” Sasha said, patting her friend on the shoulder in an attempt to try and soothe him. 

“She's just an ass hole,” Connie huffed, though he did blush slightly at Sasha's touch. 

“I'm sat right here y'know?” Ymir said, kicking the back of the seat.

Rrrrriiiip.

“Did you just...?” 

“Well if you didn't have such shitty seats...” 

Connie slammed his fist on the dashboard.

“I mean I know my car is a crap heap but that doesn't mean you get to kick holes in my damn seats!” 

Ymir pouted but a devious smirk soon replaced it.

“I have some duct tape that'll fix that right up. Then again it's probably worth more than the car.” 

The car screeched to a halt. 

“Okay that's it, get out of my car,” Connie almost yelled, wrestling with the door to try and open it. 

“No need to get all mad and anyway,” Ymir said, kicking open her door with relative ease, “we're here.”

The hospital loomed in front of them, enormous and grubby white in colour. Ymir swallowed down a huge lump in her throat. This was it, time to apologise for the first time in her life. 

When they entered the lights were low and dim, echoing the grim evening sky settling in outside. Sasha and Connie hung back behind Ymir, who wedged her hands as deeply into her pockets as possible and slowly walked towards the desk. 

“Umm... Is Christa Renz here?” She asked the stony-faced woman sat behind the reception, quieter than she wanted to. 

The nerves were beginning to get to her. 

“I'm sorry,” the woman replied, “visiting hours are over, you'll have to come back tomorrow.” She didn't sound the least bit sorry.

“But I didn't know she was in the hospital until about an hour ago, I have to see her it's important.” 

The woman eyed the freckled-girl in front of her suspiciously over the top of her glasses. 

“Are you family?” she asked dryly, lazily rolling her chair towards an enormous filing cabinet. 

“No but...” Ymir started, taking her hands out of her pockets to slap them on the desk, “I need to tell her something.” 

“Well that something can wait until tomorrow, during actual visiting hours,” the woman drawled on, licking her thumb and opening the file she had retrieved from the cabinet, “Miss Renz is on bed rest.” 

“Listen to me, I HAVE to see her, Right. Now,” Ymir cried, gritting her teeth. 

Sasha put a hand on the taller girl's shoulder and squeezed hard, pulling Ymir from her rising rage. 

“I'm so sorry for her behaviour,” she began, smiling sweetly at the rancid-looking woman in front of them, “It's just that what my friend failed to mention is that Christa is her girlfriend and she's been inconsolable since she heard the news.” 

Ymir flushed a deep scarlet. Her mouth too dry to talk she just nodded dumbly at the receptionist and turned to Sasha wide-eyed. The shorter brunette's eyes betrayed nothing of the lie she had just told, instead she smiled even wider at the receptionist. 

“She only found out an hour ago because they had a fight you see, Ymir here only wants to apologise to her one true love.”

Okay, Ymir thought, one true love may be pushing it a little. 

The woman behind the desk merely blinked slowly and placed the file onto the keyboard, knitting her hands together. 

“Be that as it may, and as touching as your story is, I can't tell you where she is. Visiting hours are over.” 

Ymir's eyes filled with desperation. 

“But...” 

Before the woman could speak again a woman in a long white lab coat pushed her way through the double doors leading to the wards. She stopped and stared at the scene playing out at the reception desk. 

“Is there a problem, Eunice?” she asked, warm eyes settling on each of the students in turn. 

“This one wants to see, whasser name again? Ah Christa Renz. I've told them visiting hours are over but they're insisting.” 

The Doctor placed a pile of files on the desk and turned to face the girls. 

“Miss Renz needs her rest, she'll be back to school after her fever breaks,” she explained. Ymir relaxed considerably. 

“So it's not pneumonia?” Sasha asked from behind Ymir. 

The doctor shook her head. 

“The paramedics were right to bring her in though, she has a rather nasty case of the flu but it's nothing serious.” 

Ymir took a sharp intake of breath. 

“Then can I see her?” 

The Doctor smiled. 

“I'm sorry but visiting hours are over, why is it so important you see her?” 

“Because I'm her, I'm. She's my, I guess we're, together?”

The Doctor's eyes lit up slightly. She coughed. 

“Eunice, Miss Renz's file please.” 

The receptionist hesitated before handing over the thin folder to the other woman, who opened it and pointed to the double doors.

“She's in room 104, take the elevator up to the third floor and her room is on the left as you exit. I can only give you fifteen minutes though.” 

Ymir didn't even hear the end of the sentence. She bolted through the doors, flailing wildly in the middle of the hallway. She hit the back wall of the elevator hard when she finally skidded into it and pounded onto the button for the third floor. Her stomach lurched as she was carried upwards towards Christa. She raced to the left and stopped suddenly. She was there. 

Her hand hesitated on the door handle, a sudden anxiety washing over her. She knew it was stupid, Christa had wanted to talk to her for days, even getting sick over it. Shaking herself she tentatively pushed the door open. 

The room smelled of her. She lay peacefully on her bed, snuggled deep in layers of blankets. As Ymir edged closer she could hear her laboured breathing. Ignoring the arm chair in favour of the edge of the bed. It creaked and the blonde gasped and fell into a fit of coughing under the blankets. 

“Oh God, umm fuck I'm sorry. I'll just,” she stood but before she reached full height a hand shot out from the bed and gripped at her wrist. 

“Don't you dare go,” the tiny voice cautioned, smoothing her hand over Ymir's and linking their hands. 

Christa's eyes opened, glaring daggers at her room-mate, who looked more sheepish than she ever had before. The blonde shifted under the blankets so she could sit up, never letting go of Ymir's hand. 

“So?” She asked dryly. 

Ymir used her one unoccupied hand to scratch the back of her neck. 

“Umm, I'm sorry?” She ventured, trying to crack a smile at the smaller girl. Christa was unimpressed.

“That's the best you've got?” 

“Well I was going to apologise to you and then you ended up here and it took me so long to get in here because the bitch on the desk wouldn't let me through and then Sasha said you were my girlfriend and she still wouldn't let me through but then a doctor came and let me come up here so I ran but then I got really nervous because what if you did hate me now right? So I got stuck opening the door because I really wanted you to like me how I liked you and now we're here and...” 

THUD!

Christa's forehead connected solidly with Ymir's and the two crumbled into the bed. 

“Ouch, what the hell was that for?” Ymir cried, rubbing between her eyebrows. 

“You wouldn't have stopped babbling otherwise,” Christa shrugged from her position on her room-mate's right shoulder. 

Ymir let out a long sigh. 

“Ah fuck it! I was an ass hole but I really do like you,” she paused to take in Christa's measured expression, “I mean like like-like. I kinda like-like you. Oh just be my girlfriend already!” 

Christa giggled into the the brunette's pulse point. 

“The hell are you laughing for?” 

Blue eyes were inches away from her face. 

“That was a very you way of asking me out,” Christa admitted, placing a hand on freckled cheeks, “if that's what you were doing anyway?” 

Ymir nodded, struck dumb by the adorable giggle.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for you to say that you idiot?” Christa yelled, pressing her lips wholly over Ymir's. 

They came apart only when Christa started coughing. Ymir tucked the blonde safely back into the bed and then turned to leave.

“Get over here,” the shorter girl commanded, indicating a free spot on the bed. 

Ymir smirked to herself and climbed onto the bed beside Christa, wrapping one arm around her. 

“If you give me the flu then you have to take care of me when you get back to the dorms,” she mumbled into her girlfriend's ear. 

“Fat chance,” Christa replied, latticing their fingers together over her chest, “Say, Ymir?”

“Hm?” 

“Do you want to come home with me for Christmas?”


	7. Returning

“Ymir for God’s sake they’re going to be here any minute!” came the cry from Christa’s side of the bed, “are you not even going to start packing?”

 

Ymir shrugged from her side of the bed, lazily picking at her nose and flicking it towards the door, “I have three hours, how much do you think I’m going to pack?”

  
“Christmas break is three weeks,” Christa cried, hastily folding her pyjamas into her own monstrously overcrowded suitcase. Ymir didn’t move.

  
“You’re aware I live like a Spartan right? I don’t think I even own three weeks’ worth of clothes.”

  
Christa smiled.

  
“Aww baby you learned what a Spartan was!”

  
The brunette scoffed and launched herself from her bed, pinching her girlfriend’s cheeks.

  
“Very funny. Okay I’ll humour you. Still don’t know what I’m going to do for the other two hours and forty-five minutes we’ll be waiting though.”

  
She reached under her bed and pulled out a small rucksack, shaking out the odds socks lining the bottom and tossing them onto the floor. She opened her wardrobe, pulled out three jackets and another pair of jeans, and shoved them inside.

  
“You’re not even going to fold them?”

  
“Why bother? We don’t own an iron.”

  
Christa sighed. Ymir was right of course but that didn’t stop the nagging nervousness creeping into her head. Her mother told her to bring a nice boy home and neither of her parents seemed particularly enthused at the idea of her bringing her room-mate home, even with her omitting one very important detail.

  
“You didn’t meet a nice boy?” her mother had probed on the phone when Christa was arranging the whole thing. The blonde gritted her teeth into a smile, even though she knew her mother couldn’t see it.

  
“I met many nice boys,” she said, “but Ymir has nowhere to go for Christmas so I thought…”

  
She could hear her mother tutting on the other end of the line.

  
“You thought you’d bring her with you? Well that’s no problem, your father will just have to make up the guest bedroom.”

  
A small smile played on Christa’s lips at the thought.

  
“Thank you.”

  
Her mother sighed quietly, but the blonde girl could still make it out.

  
“We’re just happy to have you home.”

  
Christa let out a loud breath. Ymir raised an eyebrow.

  
“Something eating at you?”

  
Christa nodded.

  
“Parents… I just want you to make a good impression.”

  
Ymir stood to her full height and gestured at her torn sweater and black jeans.

  
“What part of this doesn’t scream ‘good impression’?”

  
Christa narrowed her eyes. The taller girl smirked and squatted so their faces were level.

  
“It’ll be fine princess,” she said ruffling the blonde’s fringe.

  
“Your words fill me with confidence,” the shorter girl answered sarcastically, but she couldn’t help but smile at the grinning idiot in front of her.

 

Christa’s parents arrived exactly when they said they would. Ymir carried both bags down to the car where Christa’s father helped her toss them into the boot.

  
“You travel light,” he remarked at the brunette.

  
Ymir shrugged, slamming the boot shut with more force than necessary, “Gotta travel light when Christa’s around.”

  
A short ‘hrmmm’ was all the response she got and soon they were settling into the three hour long drive back to Christa’s home. Christa’s father was already deep into another lecture.

  
“I told you not to party and what did you do? Not only did you attend an illegal party before classes even began, you also slept on a rooftop at the start of November! I’ve never been more scared in my life.”

  
Christa stole a glance at her girlfriend, who appeared to be asleep, mouth hanging open with one arm covering her eyes.

  
“Dad I-”she began, but the words quickly became lost in her mouth, “I’m sorry.”

  
Her father slammed his palm on the steering wheel, causing Ymir to snort herself awake and glower at the man in front of her, disgruntled.

  
“We got a call saying you were in hospital and we almost rushed to get you, if it wasn’t for that doctor telling us you were in good company…” he trailed off seething.

  
Christa caught Ymir’s eye and the other girl smirked. Ymir had managed to fall asleep with her in the tiny single hospital bed and, if it wasn’t for the nurse cruelly rousing her several hours later, she might have stayed there all night. With a kiss and a promise of return the brunette was shepherded out of the ward and forced to walk back to the campus.

  
“Better than taking Connie’s car,” she remarked later.

  
The car ride settled into an uncomfortable silence after that, Christa’s father clearly wishing to vent more but feeling it improper in front of guests, even if those guests were people he’d rather not be here. Christa’s mother switched the radio on quietly, classical bars echoed lightly around the vehicle. Ymir fell asleep almost immediately and, if she had been braver, Christa would have leant against her and taken in her warmth too. She wasn’t feeling too brave today.

  
Black clouds were gathering thick and fast overhead as the car turned into the small seaside town. Various people waved at the family, and snoring guest, as they passed down the high-street on their way back home.

  
“They’ve missed you,” Christa’s father commented briefly, making a sharp turning off the main road.

  
Christa nodded distractedly. She wanted nothing more than to lock herself back in her bedroom and sleep. Her Father continued.

  
“They all wanted you to bring back a strapping young fellow to meet everyone. Guess that won’t be happening any time soon.”

  
Christa grit her teeth and bit back a retort.

  
“Well I wanted Ymir to come back with me,” she said flatly. Her father’s eyes narrowed.

  
“Don’t take that tone with me young lady, you’ve been gone three months and I barely recognise you.”

  
“Maybe that’s for the best Dad, you seem to already hate my choice in girlfriends.”

  
The brakes slammed the car to a stop. Ymir smacked her head loudly on the headrest in front of her and turned to look at Christa.

  
“What the hell…?”

  
Without saying a word Christa forced the back door open and raced out onto the street, tears streaming down her face. Her mother turned to face the driver, whose forehead vein looked set to burst at any moment.

  
“Now look what you’ve done. We were going to talk about this together…”

  
Ymir took off her seatbelt and shuffled onto the middle seat.

  
“Wait you guys knew?”

  
Christa’s mother shook her head.

  
“No, but I wanted to talk it through as a family before someone went off the railings. I’m sorry Ymir.”

  
“I don’t care, where would Christa run off to?”

  
“I mean I wanted to make you feel welcome and…”

  
Ymir cut her off sharply.

  
“I don’t give a shit, where would she go?”

  
Christa’s mother’s eyes widened in shock. She looked set to scream at the brunette’s language but instead merely uttered:

  
“The beach.”

  
“Cheers,” came the curt reply.

  
The dark clouds hung even heavier in the sky as the taller girl raced through a patch of sandy grass and finally found her way onto the beach. It was deserted, grey waves lapping angrily against the shore in anticipation of the oncoming storm. As she wandered huge heavy rain droplets cascaded from behind her, rattling at her feet.

  
“Come on princess where the hell are you?”

  
Her jumper was soaked through in seconds, winds at her back forcing her forwards. Sand leapt from the shores and spattered on her clothing but she couldn’t stop jogging. She had to find her. She yelled Christa’s name but the words were quickly drowned to silence by the storm. Thunder rumbled softly in the distance. Lightning wouldn’t be far behind. _Fuck, Christa not again._

  
Something small came into vision a few moments later. Ymir raced towards it, though it was slow going with swimming pools in her shoes. The building came into focus, it looked like an old rental shack. The lettering on the sign was faded to almost nothing, battered and chipped in the weather. A large canoe lay outside, a huge hole in the side making Ymir think twice about water sports this vacation. She wheeled around to the other side and found the door ajar. She kicked it open with as much force as her sopping wet form could manage.

  
“CHRISTA!”

  
In the corner of the room a tiny shape was huddled against the hull of another boat, golden hair dripping against the floor. Ymir leapt across the small space and threw herself on the shorter girl.

  
“You fucking idiot why did you do that?”

  
Christa didn’t respond, tugging Ymir’s arm around herself more. With her free hand the taller girl pulled something dripping wet from her back pocket.

  
“Let’s hope this thing still works,” she said flicking it open and clicking the lighter on. A small orange light glowed in the shack.

  
She pulled away from Christa so she was sat to her side but the other girl would not relinquish her arm yet.

  
“Why did you come?” she said in the smallest voice Ymir had ever heard.

  
“I couldn’t just leave you, now come on you need to get out of those clothes.”

  
Christa glared at her girlfriend.

  
“Really? After all this that’s what you’re after?”

  
Ymir managed to pull her arm free.

  
“We’re both soaking wet and you’re basically fresh out of hospital. If I was after that I wouldn’t have waited for a thunderstorm to get you wet.”  
Christa giggled quietly.

  
“Couldn’t help it huh?”

 

Ymir shrugged and stood, leaving the lighter on the floor so she could peel off her jumper.

  
“The joke was there to be made. Now are you going to undress yourself or would you like some help?”

  
Christa pursed her lips.

  
“I’m perfectly capable, thank you.”

  
“That’s what I like to hear,” came the reply as Ymir dragged off her shirt and tossed it into a growing pile of dripping cloth.

  
Christa stood and wandered to the pile.

  
“At least hang it up,” she muttered, picking up the items and laying them out across the shelves around the shack. Ymir draped herself over the shorter girl.

  
“Of course, dramatic situation and you’re berating me on my cleanliness.”

  
Christa pulled the taller girl’s arms around her.

  
“If I don’t berate you you’ll never learn. Now, how are we going to get warm?”

  
Ymir grinned.

  
“I can think of a few ideas.”


End file.
